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DONATION  OF 

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Letter 


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No. 


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BT  1101  B52  1832 

Blake,  John  Lauris,  1788- 
1857  . 

Conversations  on  the 
evidences  of  Christianity 


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CONVERSATIONS 

# 


ON  THE 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY : 


.  -  f 


IN  WHICH 


THE  LEADING  ARGUMENTS 


OP  THE 


BEST  AUTHORS 


Ufa 

w, 


ARE  ARRANGED,  DEVELOPED,  AND  CONNECTED  WITH 
EACH  OTHER. 


ADAPTED  TO  THE  USE  OP  SCHOOLS  AND  FAMILIES. 


BY  REV.  J.  V.  BLAKE,  A.  M. 


BOSTON 


CARTER,  HENDEE,  AND  CO. 


1832, 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress ,  in  the  year  1832, 
By  Carter,  Hendee,  fy  Co. 
in  the  Clerk’s  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  Massachusetts. 


4 


PREFACE. 


A  painful  apprehension  has  been  indulged, 
within  the  last  few  years,  lest,  in  the  great  zeal 
for  improvement  in  common  elementary  education, 
the  subject  of  religion  should  be  too  much  neglect¬ 
ed.  Is  not  this  the  melancholly  fact  ?  Let  an  ex¬ 
amination  be  made,  and  what  will  be  the  result ! 
Look  at  the  mass  of  our  primary  schools,  and  of 
our  grammar  schools,  and  see  how  little  is  embrac¬ 
ed  in  the  whole  range  of  instruction  there  given, 
that  would  indicate  us  to  be  a  Christian  people. 
It  is  true,  that  "in  many  of  our  school  books  allu¬ 
sions  may  be  often  made  to  the  gospel,  and  indeed 
to  some  of  its  distinctive  characteristics ;  but,  are 
these  characteristics  themselves  exhibited  in  a 
manner  to  enlighten  the  understanding,  to  con¬ 
solidate  the  views,  and  to  invigorate  the  hopes  of 
the  professed  disciples  of  Jesus  Christ !  It  is  be¬ 
lieved  not.  They  are  allusions  merely  that  would 
scarcely  disturb  the  faith  of  an  enlightened  Bra- 
min  or  Mahometan. 

Is  it  not  owing  to  such  a  deficiency  in  our  sys¬ 
tems  of  education,  that  so  many  youth  are  grow  , 


4 


PREFACE. 


ing  up  flippant  sceptics  on  the  subject  of  religion; 
and,  are  casting  away  with  insolent  rudeness  and 
scorn  the  faith  and  hope  of  their  pious  parents?' 
No  one  of  extensive  observation  can  deny  it  is  so. 
Only  a  few  years  since,  in  one  of  the  Sunday 
Schools  of  this  city,  an  intelligent  Miss  of  fourteen 
disputed  with  her  Teacher  the  truth  of  Christiani¬ 
ty.  It  soon  appeared  that  the  former  was  familiar 
with  the  writings  of  Paine  and  other  infidels ;  and, 
yet  she  was  the  daughter  of  Christian  parents. 
It  seems  that  a  moral  poison  had  been  administer¬ 
ed  to  her  ;  yet,  no  one  at  home,  or  at  school  had 
furnished  her  with  an  antidote !  The  poison  sank 
deep  into  the  soul ;  and,  were  it  proper  so  soon 
after  and  in  the  very  place  of  a  sad  catastrophe,  to 
detail  the  subsequent  history  of  one  so  young,  and 
beautiful,  and  of  respectable  connexions,  and  in  a 
high  degree  intellectual,  it  would  address  itself  to 
a  Christian  community  with  a  force  seldom  real¬ 
ized. 

If  we  would  secure  the  children  and  youth  of 
our  country  against  the  deleterious  influence  which 
is  cast  over  them  by  the  enemies  of  Christianity, 
we  must  furnish  them  with  means  at  their  own 
houses,  in  the  Sunday  School,  and  in  the  various 
literary  Institutions  to  which  they  have  access,  to 
become  familiarly  acquainted  with  the  principles 
of  our  most  holy  faith.  No  one  should  be  permit¬ 
ted  to  grow  up  without  these  means.  The  subject 
should  be  continually  in  view ;  and,  in  a  manner 
calculated  to  awaken  all  the  sensibilities  of  the 


PREFACE. 


5 


youthful  heart.  The  youthful  intellect  should  be 
habitually  disciplined  to  the  comprehension  of 
these  principles  in  their  several  relations,  as  it  is 
disciplined  to  the  attainment  of  science.  To  assist 
in  a  labour  so  necessary  for  the  futurewell  being  of 
our  country,  independent  of  its  effects  on  individ¬ 
ual  happiness,  the  editor  of  the  following  work  is 
induced  to  present  it  to  the  public.  The  main  por¬ 
tion  of  it  is  from  the  well  known  press  of  Long¬ 
man,  Rees,  Orme,  Brown,  and  Green,  to  whom  we 
are  under  the  greatest  obligation  for  a  series  of 
;works,  in  the  form  here  assumed,  on  education. 
Indeed,  it  might  seem  that  this  Compend  on  the 
Evidences  of  Christianity  should  ever  be  a  com¬ 
panion  for  the  Conversations  on  Chemistry,  Nat¬ 
ural  Philosophy,  Political  Economy,  and  Botany  ; 
and,  even  for  elementary  works  generally  on  lit¬ 
erature  and  science.  It  is,  however  to  dependun 
jparents  and  teachers  to  say  whether  it  shall  be¬ 
come  thus  useful  in  rearing  up  the  coming  gene¬ 
ration. 

The  form  of  Conversations,  under  which  the 
subject  is  here  presented,  is  not  that  which  the 
author  regards  as  the  best  which  could  be  adopted, 
neither  is  the  proof  developed  to  that  extent  which 
it  would  bear ;  and  in  many  other  particulars  con¬ 
nected  with  the  subject,  additions  nf  greater  or 
less  importance  might  with  propriety  have  been 
made,  had  the  present  work  been  intended,  as  a 
complete  and  systematic  view  of  all  that  could  be 
adduced  in  behalf  of  Christianity.  The  object, 


6 


PREFACE 


however,  of  the  author  was  to  be  read  by  those 
who  cannot  or  will  not  read  the  works  of  abler 
men.  That  form,  therefore,  was  adopted  which 
experience  has  shown  most  likely  to  succeed,  and 
the  argument  developed  to  that  extent  only  which 
the  limits  of  a  small  and  elementary  work  per¬ 
mitted. 

Boston ,  August  14,  1832. 


CONVERSATIONS 


ON  THE 

EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY 


CONVERSATION  I. 

Maria.  My  brother  and  myself  have  a  favour  to  re¬ 
quest  of  you,  my  dear  father,  which  we  hope  you  will 
not  deny  us,  though  we  have  some  hesitation  in  asking 
it. 

Mr.  B.  The  sooner  I  hear  it,  the  better.  You  may 
be  sure,  that  nothing  short  of  necessity  will  occasion  a 
refusal.  „ 

Edward.  Our  hopes  and  fears  alike  arise  from  the  na¬ 
ture  of  our  petition.  We  are  very  desirous  of  learning 
from  you,  in  conversation,  the  evidences  for  the  Chris¬ 
tian  religion. 

Mr.  B.  This  is,  indeed,  more  than  I  expected;  and  I 
might  answer,  that,  like  yourselves,  I  am  influenced  in 
two  ways;  the  importance  of  the  subject  putting  it  out 
of  my  power  to  refuse,  at  the  same  time  thatit  makes 
me  hesitate  in  ’acceding  to  your  wishes. 

Maria.  We  feel  grateful  for  the  first  part  of  your  an¬ 
swer,  which  the  second  only  teaches  us  to  value  more. 

Edward.  We  are,  indeed,  aware,  that  it  is  no  slight 
task  we  impose  upon  you,  my  dear  father;  but  we  have 
long  been  anxious  upon  the  subject,  on  that  account. 

Mr.  B.  You  have,  then,  considered  the  subject,  in 


1  What  request  does  Edward  make  to  his  father  ? — 2  In  What  two 
ways  is  Mr.  B.  influenced  in  relation  to  this  request'll — 3  What  question 
does  he  ask  Edward  and  Maria,  as  to  their  understanding  the  subject  I 


8 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


some  measure,  already;  but  do  you  think  you  will  more 
clearly  understand  it  in  consequence  of  conversations 
upon  it  ? 

Maria.  We  hope  so.  In  conversations,  indeed,  be¬ 
tween  ourselves,  we  have  rather  puzzled  ourselves  than 
otherwise,  which,  perhaps,  was  the  necessary  conse¬ 
quence  of  our  attempting  to  argue  upon  a  subject  of 
which  we  know  a  little,  and  only  a  little. 

Mr.  B.  Not  improbable.  But  what  is  the  sum  of 
your  present  knowledge  ? 

Maria.  My  brother  knows  more  than  I  do;  but  he 
has  only  a  kind  of  general  and  vague  idea  arising  from 
books,  which  he  has  looked  at,  rather  than  examined, 
and  of  which  he  has  no  distinct  recollection,  owing  to  his 
having  given  himself  up,  of  late,  so  exclusively  to  other 
studies.  For  myself,  I  can  say  very  little;  indeed,  I  am 
almost  ashamed  to  say,  that  I  believe  in  the  truth  of  the 
Christian  religion,  because  I  feel  I  cannot  do  otherwise 
than  believe — yet  that  is  the  fact. 

Mr.  B.  Can  you  not,  in  some  measure,  ascertain  the 
grounds  of  your  faith  ? 

Maria.  Perhaps  I  might,  by  hard  thinking;  but  as  I 
would  much  rather  be  able  to  “give  to  every  one  that 
asketh  me  a  reason  of  .the  hope  that  is  in  me,” — an  an¬ 
swer  founded  on  rational  principles — you  would,  indeed, 
render  me  an  essential  service,  by  pointing  out  the  par¬ 
ticulars  wherein  the  real  strength  of  the  arguments,  in 
favour  of  Christianity,  consist. 

Edward.  And  jiot  less  so  to  me;  for  I'find  the  little 
knowledge  of  the  subjecjt  I  at  present  possess  wholly  in¬ 
sufficient  to  satisfy  my  mind  in  many  points.  We  both 
feel  inclined  to  think,  that  Christianity  must  be  true,  but 
are  perplexed  by  the  circumstance  of  its  truth  being  yet 
disputed,  and  know  not  well  how  to  reconcile  our  minds 
to  the  fact,  that  many  have  rejected  it.  It  is  also  very 
distressing,  when  one  accidentally  meets  with  persons 


4  What  knowledge  of  it  does  Maria  say  that  Edward  already  has  1 — -5 
What  does  she  know  of  it  herself1? — 6  In  what  manner  does  she  prefer  to 
give  the  grounds  of  her  (faith  ? — 7  With  what  does  Edward  say,  that  he 
and  his  sister  are  perplexed  1 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


9 


of  a  sceptical  turn,  to  be  forced  to  bear  the  sarcasms 
they  throw  out,  or  the  ridicule  which  they  cast  upon  re¬ 
ligion,  and  feel  that  we  have  no  right  to  reply,  from  ig¬ 
norance  of  the  subject. 

Maria.  And  even  in  reading  books,  we  do  not-  escape 
a  painful  sense  of  inferiority,  as  well  as  indignation,  in. 
meeting  with  passages,  that  seem  to  strike  at  what  we 
have  been  accustomed  to  reverence,  but  of  which  we 
cannot,  immediately,  see  the  falsity. 

Mr.  B.  I  believe  many  persons,  as  well  as  myself, 
could  fully  enter  into  your  feelings;  and  if  I  can,  in  any 
measure,  enable  you  to  build  your  faith  upon  a  firm  foun¬ 
dation,  my  labour  will  be  abundantly  repaid:  but,  do 
you  think  you  will  derive  greater  advantage  from  con¬ 
versations  on  the  subject,  than  by  reading  some  good 
treatise  ? 

Maria.  I  shall  feel  more  interested  in  conversations, 
than  in  the  continued  arguments  of  a  theological  disqui¬ 
sition.  I  fear,  I  have  not  sufficient  strength  of  mind  to 
examine  the  truth  of  the  assertions  of  a  learned  divine, 
page  by  page.  As  Pope  said  to  Atterbury,  I  always 
find  the  last  author  convince  me. 

Edivard.  On  the  contrary,  I  feel  myself  generally  so 
much  inclined  to  spend  too  much  time  in  balancing  prob¬ 
abilities,  making  nice  distinctions,  and  examining  all 
conceivable  objections,  that,  in  many  cases,  I  quite  lose 
the  thread  of  the  discourse,  and  forget  the  real  force  of 
the  principal  argument. 

Mr.  B.  It  is  well  for  you,  that  you  have  found  out 
these  tendencies  to  error  in  your  minds. 

Maria.  Most  probably  we  should  not,  had  we  not  con¬ 
versed  together  on  the  subject,  when  we  found  we  differ-* 
ed  so  widely  in  opinion  on  many  points,  that  we  were  led 
the  more  closely  to  examine  ourselves,  and  each  readily 
detected  the  faults  of  the  other. 


8  On  what  account  does  she  say,  that  they  experience  a  feeling  of  pain, 
when  reflecting  on  the  subject  1 — 9  What  question  does  Mr.  B.  ask,  as  to 
the  conversational  form  of  discussion  1 — 10  What  reply  to  it  does  Maria 
make  1 — 11  What  reply  to  it  does  Edward  make  1 — 12  In  what  manner 
does  Maria  say,  that  she  has  learnt  her  own  liabilities  to  error  1 


10 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


’  Edward.  It  is  on  this  account,  also,  that  we  should 
prefer  continuing  the  consideration  of  the  subject  in  con¬ 
versations.  In  many  cases,  we  have  perplexed  our¬ 
selves  needlessly,  I  am  convinced,  by  losing  sight  of  the 
great  object  we  ought  to  have  had  in  view,  viz.  the  sim¬ 
ple  truth  :  and  by  dipping  into  many  books,  I  have  only 
made  the  matter  worse;  for,  as  fast  as  one  difficulty  was 
cleared,  another  started  up,  of  which  the  author,  per¬ 
haps,  took  no  notice ;  and  the  habit  of  doubting,  I  found 
much  more  easily  acquired  than  discarded. 

Maria.  Do  you  not  think,  my  dear  father,  that  con¬ 
versation  has  its  advantages,  in  enabling  one  to  obtain  . 
much  information  not  usually  met  with  in  books,  or  dis¬ 
persed  in  so  great  a  number  as  to  be  almost  out  of  reach, 
as  well  as  in  securing  the  thorough  examination  of  each 
portion  of  the  subject? 

,  Mr.  B.  It  undoubtedly  has;  but,  perhaps  its  principal 
advantage  will  be  found  in  its  being  the  plan  yourselves 
have  suggested.  My  own  knowledge  of  the  subject  has 
been  acquired  in  a  manner  so  very  different,  that  I  hard¬ 
ly  know  how  far  I  shall  be  enabled  to  bring  it  before 
you,  in  so  clear  and  convincing  a  form,  g.s  the  impor¬ 
tance  of  the  subject  demands.  Much,  however,  de¬ 
pends  upon  yourselves;  and  as  I  shall  take  care  to  give 
you  references  to  authors,  whose  opinions  are  of  far 
greater  weight  than  mine,  you  must  be  careful  not  to 
attach  any  weakness  to  the  argument  as  developed  by 
me,  till  you  have  first  examined  the  original  works,  and 
seen  how  far  the  apparent  deficiency  may  be  inherent  in 
the  nature  of  the  subject,  or  only  the  consequence  of  my 
inefficiency.  I  should  by  no  means  consider  myself 
justified  in  proceeding  in  this  undertaking,  if  I  thought 
you  would  depend  solely  on  my  statements,  and  did  not 
search  whether  these  tilings  be  so  or  not.  I  shall  give 
you  a  fair  statement,  to  the  best  of  my  power,  remem¬ 
bering  well  the  danger  incurred  by  those  through  whom 


13  How  does  Edward  say,  they  have  needlessly  perplexed  themselves  1 
14  What  question  does  Maria  ask  her  father,  as  to  the  conversational 
form  1 — 15  What  answer  does  Mr.  B.  give  her  1 — 16  What  does  he  tell 
her  he  shall  take  care  to  do  1 — 17  How  does  he  promise  her  he  shall  pro¬ 
ceed  in  the  argument  1 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


11 


an  offence  cometh;  but,  as  the  subject  is  of  so  grave  a 
nature,  and  so  much  depends  upon  it,  I  must  entreat  you 
well  to  watch  over  both  yourselves  and  me,  in  which 
case  I  trust  our  conversations  will  prove  a  mutual  benefit. 

Maria.  But  you  will  not  make  our  understanding  the 
subject,  depend  upon  our  reading  the  authors  you  refer 
to?  ! 

Mr.  B.  I  hope  to  be  able  to  give  you  a  clear  and  cor¬ 
rect  idea  of  it,  without  your  having  occasion  to  refer  to 
any  work;  but  I  can  only  give  you  an  outline,  which 
you  must  yourselves  fill  up  at  your  leisure,  and  accord¬ 
ing  to  your  own  peculiar  wants  and  difficulties. 

Edward.  But,  if  the  arguments  you  adduce  are,  in 
themselves,  satisfactory,  where  will  be  the  need  of  fur¬ 
ther  inquiry?  If  not,  it  appears  to  me  hardly  probable, 
that  the  perusal  of  many  volumes,  in  detail,  would  strike 
more  forcibly,  than  their  condensed  force  delivered  at 
once.  ' 

Mr.  B.  In  the  course  of  the  inquiry,  it  will,  however, 
be  necessary  to  consider  various  objections  :  now  many 
of  these,  though  found  to  be  flimsy  and  worthless  when 
examined,  are  yet  specious,  and  not  easily  overthrown 
in  few  words.  There  is  no  objection,  of  consequence, 
which  has  not  been  fully  considered,  and,  in  my  opinion, 
satisfactorily  answered;  but  it  is  impossible  for  me,  in 
many  cases,  to  convey  to  your  minds  the  force  of  the 
reasoning  which  has  been  employed  in  these  answers, — 
and  mere  assertions  are  of  no  value.  It  is  easy  to  pro¬ 
duce  the  effect  on  the  one  side,  but  difficult  on  the  other: 
not  because  truth  is  with  the  former,  and  not  with  the 
latter;  but  because  truth  has,  in  such  cases,  to  be  search¬ 
ed  for  diligently  before*  it  is  apparent;  and,  till  that  is 
done,  we  cannot  altogether  reject  the  pretensions  of  false¬ 
hood,  dressed  in  the  garb  of  truth.  It  is  in  cases  like 
these,  that  full  conviction  can  only  be  produced  by  full 


18  What  question  does  she  ask  her  father  1 — 19  To  what  extent  does 
he  promise  to  instruct  her  1—20  What  question  does  Edward  ask  his 
father,  as  to  the  course  to  be  pursued  1 — 21  What  does  Mr.  B.  say  of  the 
objections,  that  have- been  made  to  Christianity1? — 22  How  does  he  say 
these  objections  operate  on  the  mind  1 — 23  How  does  he  say,  that  full 
conviction  is  to  be  produced  1 


12 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


investigation,  and  from  my  anxiety  not  to  injure  the 
cause,  which  I  cannot  but  believe  to  be  divine,  that  I 
earnestly  impress  upon  you  the  necessity  of  inquiring 
fully  in  every  case,  where  you  see  reason  to  doubt  the 
accuracy  of  my  statements,  or  the  correctness  of  my  con¬ 
clusions. 

Marin.  It  would  be  unjust,  both  to  you,  and  to  the 
cause  you  advocate,  not  to  follow  your  directions  in  this 
respect:  but  I  trust  you  will,  however,  allow  us  the  ut¬ 
most  latitude  of  personal  inquiry,  which  time  will  permit. 

Edward.  And  you  will  permit  us  to  state,  not  only  the 
objections,  which  really  have  weight  in  our  own  minds, 
but  also  those  which  we  have  heard,  and  which,  though 
they  do  not  so  much  affect  us,  we  yet  find  it  difficult  to 
answer  properly. 

Mr.  B.  Certainly;  but  I  would  not  have  you  waste 
your  time  in  searching  out  difficulties,  or  in  bringing 
objections,  which  you  are  conscious  do  not  deserve  an 
answer.  Inquire  boldly  and  diligently  as  to  what  is  the 
truth;  but  remember,  that  the  inquiry  is  of  too  much 
importance  to  permit  trifling  and  sophistry. 

Edicard.  There  is,  then,  an  objection,  which  is  some¬ 
what  connected  with  the  observations  you  just  now  made, 
which  seems  to  deserve  some  consideration.  From  what 
you  there  stated,  it  would  appear,  that  no  full  conviction 
of  the  truth  of  Christianity,  unmixed  with  doubt,  can  be 
obtained  without  diligent  inquiry,  proceeding  from  per¬ 
sonal  interest  in  the  subject? 

Mr.  B.  Certainly  not,  if  you  mean  rational  conviction. 

Edward.  But  if  so,  where  is  the  right  of  censuring 
those,  who,  not  feeling  sufficient  interest  in  the  subject, 
have  no  motive  for  inquiry? 

Mr.  B.  But  why  do  they  not  feel  sufficient  interest  in 
the  subject?  Can  a  rational  creature  be  justified  in  re¬ 
garding  what  assumes  to  be  a  revelation  of  the  will  of  his 
Creator,  with  indifference? 


24  What  objections  does  Edward  propose  stating  7 — 25  What  does  Mr. 
B.  say,  as  to  the  importance  of  the  subject,  and  the  manner  of  treating  it  ? 
26  What  objection  does  Edward  say  is  connected  witli  the  observations 
made'! — 27  What  question  does  Mr.  B.  ask  concerning  indifference  of 
feeling  to  the  subject  of  religion  7 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


13 


Edward.  But,  might  not  a  Deist  rationally  think,  that 
the  world  would  do  very  well  without  Christianity,  with¬ 
out  any  revelation? 

Mr.  B.  If  you  put  this  question  with  reference  to  the 
knowledge  of  God,  and  of  our  moral  duty,  as  existing  at 
the  present  day,  which  we  can  deduce  from  first  princi¬ 
ples,  and  which  is  generally  termed  natural  religion, 
your  objection  is  unfairly  stated;  for  the  advocate  for 
revelation  argues,  that  the  very  knowledge,  which  we 
now  possess,  would,  in  all  probability,  never  have  exist¬ 
ed,  without  revelation.  You  assume  the  point  in  dis¬ 
pute,  if  you  take  it  for  granted,  that  all  the  religious 
knowledge,  which  we  are  now  enabled  to  found  upon 
principles  of  strict  reasoning,  exclusively  of  revelation, 
has  been  discovered  by  the  mere  light  of  reason. 

“The  lights  of  reason  and  revelation  fall  upon  our  path 
in  rays  so  blended,  that  we  walk  like  the  summer  even¬ 
ing  traveller,  who,  enjoying  at  the  same  time  the  full  orb 
of  the  moon,  and  the  sun’s  solstitial  twilight,  is  unable 
to  ascertain  the  proportion  in  which  he  is  indebted  to 
each  of  these  heavenly  luminaries:  and  some  of  us,  alas! 
are  such  incompetent  philosophers,  as,  because  the 
greater  is  below  our  horizon,  to  attribute  all  to  the  less.” 
— Napleton’s  Advice  to  a  Student  in  Divinity. 

Edward.  But  the  advocate  for  revelation  is  no  more 
at  liberty  to  assume,  that  our  present  knowledge  of  God 
and  of  our  duty  arises  from  revelation;  than  the  Deist  to 
affirm,  that  reason  alone  is  sufficient. 

Mr.  B.  Certainly  not. 

Edward.  But,  if  we  may  argue  from  analogy  and  the 
poAvers  of  the  mind,  as  developed  in  other  pursuits,  may 
we  not  infer,  that  reason  is  sufficient,  Avithout  revelation, 
for  our  guidance? 

Mr.  B.  If  the  discovery  of  our  duty  towards  God  and 
man,  as  founded  in  religion,  Avere  a  matter  of  mere  cu¬ 
riosity,  perhaps  I  might  partially  admit  the  truth  of  your 

28  Wherein  does  he  say,  that  Edward  deals  unfairly  1 — 29  What  does 
he  accuse  him  of  assuming  t— SO  What  quotation  is  made  from  Napleton  1 
31  What  reply  does  Edward  make  to  it  1 — 82  What  question  does  he  ask, 
respecting  an  argument  from  analogy  1 — 83  What  reply  dues  Mr.  B.  make 
to  it  1 


2 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


14 

supposition;  but  it  is  a  matter  of  infinitely  too  much  im¬ 
portance,  for  us  to  suppose,  that  the  great  Creator  would 
leave  it  to  be  developed  only  in  a  long  course  of  ages, 
by  the  slow  advance  of  real  knowledge  and  certain 
truth. 

Maria.  Admitting  the  possibility  of  human  reason  be¬ 
ing  sufficient  to  discover  the  truth,  do  you  not  see,  broth¬ 
er,  that,  arguing  from  analogy,  many  ages  would  elapse, 
in  all  probability,  before  the  principles  of  natural  religion 
would  be  so  established  as  to  become  binding  upon  the 
bulk  of  mankind  ? 

Mr.  B.  But  we  need  not  argue  only  from  analogy  and 
the  probabilities  of  the  case:  let  us  refer  to  facts,  and 
you  will  find,  that  the  common  sense  of  mankind  is 
against  you.  Almost  all  nations  have  some  notion  of 
there  having  been  a  revelation  or  communication  from 
the  Creator  to  his  creatures.  Many  have  had  their  laws 
and  civil  polity  founded  in  the  idea  of  something  of  the 
kind;  and  the  philosophers  of  old,  who  were  sceptical  as 
to  the  truth  of  the  popular  religions,  agreed  as  to  their 
want  of  divine  revelation  to  declare  the  will  of  God. 
Now,  subsequently  to  the  establishment  of  Christianity, 
this  want  of  divine  aid  has  no  longer  been  felt,  and  there 
is,  therefore,  considerable  probability,  that  Christianity 
is  a  divine  revelation,  from  the  very  argument  brought 
forward  by  the  Deists,  as  to  there  now  being  no  neces¬ 
sity  for  any  revelation;  nor  can  this  be  overthrown,  ex¬ 
cept  by  showing,  not  only  that  reason  possibly  might  ar¬ 
rive  at  similar  conclusions,  as  to  natural  religion  and 
moral  obligation,  without  the  aid  of  revelation,  but,  also, 
that  there  is  a  strong  probability,  that  it  actually  did  so, 
and  that  the  results  were  imputed  to  revelation,  for  the 
sake  of  giving  greater  authority  to  them  in  the  eyes  of 
those,  who  would  be  little  disposed  to  acquiesce  in  con¬ 
clusions,  backed  only  by  their  intrinsic  excellence  and 
the  authority  of  their  fellow-men. 


34  What  does  Maria  say  of  arguing  from  analogy"? — 35  What  facts 
does  Mr.  B.  mention,  as  superseding  the  necessity  of  reasoning  from  anal¬ 
ogy  t — 36  What  does  he  say  is  true,  upon  this  subject,  subsequent  to  the 
establishment  of  Christianity1? — 37  How  can  this  argument  be  over¬ 
thrown  1 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


15 


Edioard.  There  certainly  would  be  a  want  of  authority 
to  establish  the  principles  of  natural  religion,  which  rev¬ 
elation  alone  could  supply.  But,  is  there  that  prima 
facie  necessity  of  inquiring  into  the  truth  of  an  alleged 
revelation,  which  is  generally  supposed?  May  not  a 
person  leave  the  matter  to  be  discussed  by  those  who 
are  so  disposed,  without  troubling  himself  about  it,  pro¬ 
vided  he  invariably  obeys  the  dictates  of  conscience  ? 

Mr.  B.  But,  how  can  he  be  said  invariably  to  obey  the 
dictates  of  conscience,  who  neglects  to  inform  himself 
upon  this  subject?  In  order  to  establish  your  point, 
you  should  show,  that  mankind  are  under  no  obligation 
to  endeavour  to  obey  the  will  of  God;  for,  if  they  are, 
they  must  be  under  a  necessity  of  inquiring  into  that 
will;  and  if  not,  there  is  an  end  of  all  religion,  whether 
revealed  or  natural.  The  advocate  for  revelation  argues 
thus,  and  I  do  not  see  how  his  reasoning  can  be  over¬ 
thrown:  that,  from  whatever  sources  our  knowledge  may 
have  been  obtained,  it  is  certain,  there  is  a  God,  the 
Creator  of  all  things,  of  infinite  power,  wisdom,  and 
goodness,  and,  consequently,  a  moral  governor:  that, 
From  me  relation  in  which  man  is  placed  to  him,  and  the 
course  of  providence,  it  is  probable  he  may  have  made 
a  revelation  of  his  will;  and,  therefore,  no  one  is  at  lib¬ 
erty  to  reject,  without  inquiry,  that,  which  professes  to 
be  a  divine  revelation,  unless  it  involves  such  evident 
absurdity,  that  inquiry  becomes  needless. 

Maria.  The  Christian  would  also  insist  further,  that 
there  is  not  any  such  evident  absurdity  in  the  supposi¬ 
tion,  that  Christianity  is  of  divine  origin,  sfnd  hence 
would  infer,  that  no  one  could  be  justified  in  neglecting 
it. 

Mr.  B.  And  still  less  in  rejecting  it  without  examina¬ 
tion,  as  some  do. 

Edward.  But,  many  have  not  the  means  of  instituting 
an  investigation  into  its  truth;  and  what  are  we  to  think, 


38  What  reply  does  Edward  make  to  this  1 — 39  In  order  to  establish 
this  point,  what  is  necessary  t — 40  What  does  Mr,  B.  say  is  certain  1 — 
41  W)  iat  follows  from  this  fact  1 — 42  On  what  further  does  Maria  say  the 
Christen  would  insist  1 — 43  What  difficulty  does  Edward  suggest  1 


16 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


when  told,  that  “  he  who  believeth  and  is  baptized  shall  be 
saved,  but  he  that  believeth  not  shall  be  damnedV ’ 

Mr.  B.  Do  you  not  see  how  you  are  confounding 
things,  that  are  unconnected  with  each  other?  Belief 
necessarily  implies  a  knowledge  of  the  subject  to  be  be¬ 
lieved:  in  the  case  of  ignorance,  there  is  neither  belief 
nor  unbelief.  Wilful  ignorance  you  have  before  seen  to 
be  criminal:  you  must  know,  that  the  doctrine  of  Chris¬ 
tianity  is,  that  we  shall  be  judged  according  to  our 
works, — the  motives,  which  influenced  us,  and  the  means 
put  in  our  power. 

Edward.  Yet,  still,  if  full  conviction  cannot  be  obtain¬ 
ed  without  inquiry,  and  the  bulk  of  mankind  cannot  in¬ 
quire,  from  the  very  nature  of  the  subject,  and  yet  the 
defenders  of  Christianity  allege,  that  the  most  serious 
consequences  will  ensue  in  a  future  state  to  all  who  re¬ 
ject  it;  do  not  these  circumstances,  taken  together,  con¬ 
stitute  an  argument  of  considerable  force  against  it?  If 
full  conviction  cannot  be  obtained  without  inquiry,  and 
the  bulk  of  mankind  cannot  so  inquire,  can  we  suppose 
God  requires  an  impossibility?  Must  not  the  tenet  be 
given  up,  or  Christianity  itself  fall  to  the  ground? 

M  ma.  But,  if  the  tenet  be  given  up,,  it  ceases  to  be 
a  matter  of  importance,  whether  Christianity  be  true  or 
not,  and  it  becomes  merely  a  matter  of  curiosity,  whether 
mankind  have  been  imposed  on  or  not. 

Mr.  B.  But,  upon  what  authority  do  you  assume,  that 
the  peculiar  nature  of  the  evidences  in  favour  of  Chris¬ 
tianity  is  of  that  kind,  that  it  can  only  be  examined  so  as 
to  carry  conviction  to  the  minds  of  a  few? 

Edward.  It  is  generally  regarded  as  the  province  of 
the  learned:  the  bulk  of  mankind  are  altogether  incapa¬ 
ble  of  receiving  and  judging  of  the  evidences  of  Chris¬ 
tianity. 

Mr.  B.  But,  with  regard  to  all,  can  you  not  conceive 


44  In  this,  how  does  he  confound  things,  which  are  unconnected  1 — 45 
What  further  interrogatories  does  he  propose  1 — 46  If  the  tenet  be  given 
up,  what  does  Maria  say  is  the  consequence  1 — 47  What  question  does 
Mr.  13.  here  ask  1 — 48  What  does  Edward  say  of  the  bulk  of  mankind, 
touching  the  subject  I 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY.  t7 

the  possibility  of  Christianity’s  possessing  a  certain  de¬ 
gree  of  evidence  sufficient  to  produce  conviction? 

Edward.  Yes;  but  that,  which  is  false,  may,  upon  a 
partial  view,  and  for  a  time,  appear  true.  And  how  can 
the  illiterate  Christian  be  sure  he  has  not  followed 
cunningly  devised  fables?” 

Mr.  B.  Out  of  the  thousands,  that  make  use  of  the 
common  rules  of  arithmetic,  and  well-known  results  of 
geometry,  how  many  do  you  suppose  ever  investigated 
the  truth  of  those  rules, — hoAV  many  are  there  able  to 
investigate  them? 

Edward.  Very  few  indeed.  Almost  every  mechanic 
knows  the  forty-seventh  proposition  of  the  first  book  in 
Euclid,  and  confides  in  it  implicitly  in  fact:  but,  I  sup¬ 
pose  not  one  in  a  thousand  of  those,  who  make  use  of  it, 
could  prove  it. 

Mr.  B.  Yet,  the  universal  use  made  of  it,  proves,  that 
the  evidence  for  it  is  to  their  minds  irresistible.  What, 
then,  is  that  evidence?  whence  does  it  arise? 

Edward.  I  should  suppose,  from  experience:  they  find 
it  always  true  in  practice,  and,  therefore,  conclude  it 
must  be  so  in  theory. 

Mr.  B.  And  may  not  the  unlearned  Christian  find 
Christianity  so  invariably  true  in  the  excellency  of  itg 
precepts  and  knowledge  of  human  nature,  as  to  draw  a 
similar  conclusion?  So  far  as  his  knowledge  went,  he 
might  have  every  reason  to  believe  it  true  (the  Christian 
asserts  that  he  ivould),  and  no  reason  to  believe  it  false, 
and  would,  therefore,  be  bound  in  conscience  to  obey  it. 

Maria.  This  would,  however,  suppose  belief  founded 
on  erroneous  principles,  with  regard  to  many. 

Mr.  B.  Not  on  erroneous  principles,  but  what  to  oth¬ 
ers  would  be  defective  principles.  But  all  moral  obli¬ 
gation  must  depend  on  the  situation  in  which  we  are 
placed,  and  the  means  put  into  our  power.  Now,  one 


49  What  question  does  he  ask,  concerning  the  illiterate  Christian  1 — 50 
How  does  Mr.  B.  reply  to  him,  by  an-  allusion  to  a  scientific  subject  t — 51 
What  confirmation  is  added  to  his  allusion,  by  reference  to  the  47th  propo¬ 
sition  of  Euclid  1 — 52  What  inference  is  suggested  in  relation  to  the  truth 
of  Christianity  1 — 53  What  objection  does  Maria  offer  to  this  1 — 54  How 
does  Mr.  B.  answer  her  objection  1 
2* 


18 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  .  THE 


distinguishing  feature  of  the  evidences  of  Christianity,  as 
of  its  precepts,  is,  that  whilst  it  includes  the  greatest,  it 
descends  to  the  least ;  nor  is  there  any  intermediate  stage 
in  which  it  leaves  the  mind  unsatisfied;  at  least,  so  the 
Christian  asserts;  nor  can  he  be  confuted,  without  that 
very  examination,  which  it  is  his  object  to  obtain. 

Edward.  But  nothing  is  easier  than  making  assertions, 
and  threatening  awful  consequences:  all  religions  do  the 
same.  The  evidences  of  all,  to  the  votaries  of  each, 
appear  irresistible;  yet  all  cannot  be  right;  all,  except 
one,  must  be  false,  nay,  perhaps  even  all  are  false;  yet 
all  profess  to  be  divine  revelations,  and,  according  to 
jour  argument,  are  entitled  to  examination. 

Maria.  But  examination  of  all  is  impossible,  in  the 
nature  of  things. 

Mr.  B.  It  is  so,  nor  is  it  necessary.  You  forget,  that 
I  limited  my  assertion  as  to  the  necessity  of  inquiry  to 
those  cases  “  where  there  %vas  no  such  evident  absurdity  as 
to  render  inquiry  needless .” 

Maria.  This  restriction  is  certainly  reasonable,  and 
will  greatly  shorten  the  inquiry. 

Edward.  But,  is  it  not  objected,  to  all  pretences  to 
revelation,  that,  if  God  had  revealed  his  will  to  mankind, 
Ije  would  have  put  the  matter  out  of  all  doubt — made  it 
fully  apparent  to  all  nations  and  every  age? 

Mr.  B.  But,  what  have  we  to  do  with  suppositions? 
We  have  to  inquire  into  what  has  been  done,  not  to  spec¬ 
ulate  on  what  might  have  been  done.  Nothing  can  be 
more  absurd,  or  unphilosophical,  than  to  form  mere  hy¬ 
potheses  of  the  manner  in  which  it  may  please  God  to 
act  towards  mankind.  Without  revelation,  we  are  almost 
wholly  in  the  dark:  we  know  nothing  of  God,  but  by  his 
works  and  providence;  and  the  case  of  a  revelation  is 
one,  that  we  cannot  measure  by  any  known  standard. 
We  can  only  argue  from  analogy,  and  analogy  certainly 


55  What  comparison  does  Edward  make  between  different  religions  1 
56  How  does  Mr.  B.  obviate  the  force  of  this  comparison  t — 57  ^Vhat 
objection  does  Edward  ask,  as  to  the  degree  of  evidence  in  favour  of  a 
divine  revelation,  which  may  lie  presumed  1 — 58<What  question  does  Mr. 
B.  ask  in  reply  t — 59  What  does  he  say  is  absurd  and  unphilosophical  t 
60  What  does  he  say  of  analogy,  in  relation  to  the  subject  1 


EVIDENCpS  OF  CHRISTIANITY  ]9 

furnishes  no  grounds  for  believing,  that  a  revelation  must 
be  made  in  the  manner  you  suppose.  We  know  neither 
the  subject,  nor  the  extent,  nor  the  manner,  in  which  it 
may  please  God  to  reveal  his  will  to  us.  For  any  thing 
that  we  know  to  the  contrary,  the  subject  may  be  of  such 
a  nature  as  to  render  it  expedient,  if  not  absolutely  neces¬ 
sary,  that  the  revelation  should  be  partial,  and  delivered 
in  a  manner  very  different  from  our  expectations.  What 
we  have  to  do  is,  to  examine  into  the  probability  of  its 
truth,  its  consistency,  and  agreement  with  the  little  we 
do  know  of  God,  through  the  medium  of  his  works  and 
moral  government. 

Edward.  It  is  also  objected,  that  Christianity  is  found¬ 
ed  upon  Judaism;  that  one  alleged  revelation  is  thus 
made  to  supersede  another,  which  is  contrary  to  our  no¬ 
tions  of  the  perfection  and  unchangeableness  of  God. 

Mr.  B.  But,  do  those,  who  thus  object,  know  the  rules 
of  the  Divine  Government?  Do  they  see  the  whole  of 
the  intentions  of  their  Creator  at  a  glance?  Are  they 
certain,  that  the  idea  of  change  in  the  dispensations  of 
God  implies  imperfection?  May  there  not  be  an  expe¬ 
diency,  if  not  a  necessity,  that  the  infancy  of  society  may 
require  a  different  dispensation  to  that,  which  is  best 
adapted  for  a  more  advanced  period,  in  the  same  manner 
that  education  in  early  life  is  preparatory  to  that  of  riper 
years?  May  not  Judaism  and  Christianity  be  parts,  only, 
of  one  great  whole,  of  which,  perhaps,  the  whole  will 
never  be  known  in  this  stage  of  existence  ?  Recollect 
how  many  apparently  contradictory  phenomena,  in  the 
natural  world,  are  yet  ultimately  dependent  upon  one  and 
the  same  general  law,  which  was  only  discovered  after 
the  lapse  of  many  ages.  If  you  would  discover  the  truth, 
you  must  collect  facts  rather  than  opinions,  and  examine 
their  bearings  upon  each  other,  instead  of  suffering  your 
attention  to  be  wearied  by  straining  at  objects  beyond 
your  reach. 


61  What  have  we  to  do,  in  relation  to  it  1 — 62  What  does  Edward 
say  of  Judaism  and  Christianity! — 63  In  what  way  does  Mr.  B.  think, 
that  they  may  be  parts  of  the  same  system  ! — 64  How  does  he  illustrate 
this,  by  reference  to  the  material  world  1 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


SO 

Maria.  I  do  not  see  much  force  in  my.  brother’s  ob¬ 
jections;  but  there  is  one,  which  I  have  frequently 
heard,  which  appears  to  me  deserving  consideration. 
It  is,  that  men  are  so  differently  formed,  that  they  never 
can  believe  in  the  same  manner:  what  is  proof  to  one,  is 
not  to  another;  that,  after  all,  it  is  a  matter  of  uncer¬ 
tainty,  and  that  it  cannot  matter  what  we  believe,  pro¬ 
vided  we  do  the  same. 

Mr.  B.  But  this,  also,  assumes  too  much:  for,  though 
a  sceptic  may  bewilder  himself,  and  all  who  attend  to 
him,  by  metaphysical  arguments,  there  are  certain 
things,  which  our  common  nature  irresistibly  inclines  us 
all  to  believe  as  true,  which,  whatever  may  be  said  to 
the  contrary,  influence  us  to  act  in  a  particular  manner; 
and,  after  all,  it  is  action,  which  is  the  true  criterion  of 
belief.  I  would  earnestly  recommend  to  your  perusal, 
Dr.  Beattie’s  “  Essay  on  the  Nature  and  Immutability 
of  Truth,  in  Opposition  to  Sophistry  and  Scepticism;” 
a  work,  which  you  will  not  read  with  the  less  interest, 
because  it  was  the  production  of  the  author  of  the  Min¬ 
strel. 

Maria.  O  no!  I  could  apply  his  own  words  to  himself: 
“  But  hail,  ye  mighty  masters  of  the  lay, 

Nature’s  true  sons,  the  friends  of  man  and  truth! 
Whose  song,  sublimely  sweet,  serenely  gay, 

Amused  my  childhood,  and  inform’d  my  youth. 

O  let  your  spirit  still  my  bosom  soothe, 

Inspire  my  dreams,  and  my  wild  wanderings  guide! 
Your  voice  each  rugged  path  of  life  can  smooth,. 

For  well  I  know,  wherever  ye  reside, 

There  harmony,  and  peace,  and  innocence  abide.” 
Mr.  B.  As  to  the  second  part  of  your  objection,  that 
it  cannot  matter  ivhat  we  believe,  provided  our  actions 
,be  the  same;  admitting  that  it  were  true,  as  respects  our 
conduct  towards  each  other,  and  its  consequences,  a 
•moment’s  reflection  will  show  you,  that  nothing  can  be 
more  false,  with  respect  to  the  relation  in  which  we  stand 


65  What  new  objection  does  Maria  suggest  % — 66  What  may  the  scep¬ 
tic  do  t — 67  What  work'  does  Mr.  B.  recommend  to  Maria  1 — 68  What 
does  he  say  of  the  second  part  of  her  objection  1 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  21 

) 

to  our  Creator,  unto  whom  all  the  motives  of  our  con¬ 
duct  are  known.  Christianity  also  inseparably  unites 
belief  and  practice  together  in  such  a  manner  as  to  ren¬ 
der  it  impossible  for  a  man  to  practice  Christian  precepts 
as  such,  without  the  belief  in  Christianity  as  a  divine 
revelation. 

Edward.  But,  if  inquiry  into  the  truth  of  Christianity 
be  necessary,  from  the  importance  of  the  subject,  and 
the  possibility,  that  it  might  be  a  revelation  of  the  will 
of  God,  inasmuch  as  there  was  no  prima  facie  absurdity 
involved  in  the  supposition;  still  it  does  not  follow,  that 
it  has  greater  claims  to  our  attention  than  any  other  re¬ 
ligion,  of  which  the  same  may  be  alleged;  and,  if  a  per¬ 
son  is  required  to  spend  his  time  in  inquiries  of  this  na¬ 
ture,  I  do.  not  see  why  he  might  not  sit  down  to  study 
the  evidences  in  favour  of  Mohammedism. 

Mr.  B.  It  will  not,  however,  be  difficult  to  establish 
the  claims  of  Christianity  to  investigation,  in  preference 
to  any  other  religion.  I 

Edward.  In- what  manner?  j 

Mr.  B.  The  great  object,  in  this  inquiry,  is  the  ascer¬ 
taining  of  truth,  not  the  mere  arguing  for  victory.  j 
Edward.  Certainly.  I 

Mr.  B.  If  you  were  sitting  down  to  study  astronomy, 
and  wished,  from  observation,  to  ascertain  the  true  sys¬ 
tem  of  the  world,  how  would  you  proceed  ? 

Edward.  By  collecting  all  the  phenomena,  which  pre¬ 
sented  themselves  to  my  attention,  by  arranging  them 
with  reference  to  their  apparent  importance  and  connex¬ 
ion  with  each  other,  and  afterwards  examining  them  in 
the  most  careful  manner  I  could,  in  detail,  beginning 
with  those  which,  from  their  importance,  or  from  the 
peculiar  advantages  I  possessed  of  examining  them,  of¬ 
fered  the  greatest  probability  of  my  ascertaining  the 
causes  of  what  I  saw. 

Mr.  B.  Will  you,  then,  pursue  precisely  a  similar 

69  What  does  Christianity  unite  ? — 70  What  new  difficulty  does  Ed¬ 
ward  introduce,  by  referring  to  Mohammedism  ? — 71  What  does  Mr.  B. 
Bay  is  the  great  object  of  this  inquiry  1 — 72  What  question  is  asked,  re¬ 
specting  astronomy1? — 73  What  is  the  answer  to  it? — 74  How  is  this 
applied  to  the  present  subject  ? 


22 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


course  with  regard  to  the  religious  world?  You  will  find 
in  it,  phenomena  equally  interesting,  and  capable  of 
leading  you,  in  like  manner,  to  their  causes.  What  is 
the  state  of  the  world,  as  to  religion,  at  this  present 
time? 

Edward.  There  are  a  great  number  of  religions,  dif¬ 
fering  widely  from  each  other,  both  as  to  their  doctrines, 
and  as  to  the  influence,  which  they  respectively  possess. 
The  classification  of  them  would  be  a  very  perplexing 
affair:  and  then  they  are  subdivided  into  an  infinite  num¬ 
ber  of  sects  and  parties;  so  that  it  would  be  very  difficult 
to  ascertain  even  the  mere  matter-of-fact  as  to  what  was  ' 
believed,  and  by  \fhom  it  was  believed. 

Mr.  B.  Nevertheless,  make  the  attempt.  All  nations 
either  believe  in  the  existence  of  one  God,  or  of  more 
Gods  than  one. 

Edward.  By  this  means,  I  am  enabled  to  put  them 
under  the  heads  of  Theists  and  Polytheists,  and  may 
discard  the  latter  from  further  consideration,  from  the 
evident  absurdity  of  their  tenets. 

Mr.  B.  The  Theists  you  may  also  range  under  four 
heads — of  Jews,  Mohammedans,  Christians,  and  Deists 
In  what  do  they  agree,  and  in  what  do  they  differ? 

Edward.  They  all  acknowledge  one  God;  and  the 
three  first  allege,  that  he  has  made  a  revelation  of  his 
will  to  mankind:  but  these  again  differ,  as  to  the  extent 
of  the  revelation,  and  the  persons  to  whom  it  was  com¬ 
municated  ;  all  three  agreeing,  as  to  the  divine  legation 
of  Moses;  the  two  last,  also,  adding  that  of  Christ,  and 
the  last,  that  of  Mahomet. 

Mr.  B.  So  much  for  the  fact  of  belief;  now  consider 
that  of  numbers. 

Edward.  Here,  nearly  all  is  left  to  the  Christians  and 
Mohammedans,  the  numbers  of  the  other  two  being  very 
small  in  comparison. 

Mr.  B.  Lastly,  take  into  account  character  and  influ¬ 
ence. 


75  What  does  Edward  think  would  be  very  difficult  1 — 76  What  classi¬ 
fication  does  he  make  1 — 77  And  how  are  Theists  divided  1 — 78  What 
does  Edward  assert,  concerning  these  four  divisions  of  Theists  1 — 79 
What  is  said  of  their  comparative  numbers  1 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  23 

Edward.  Here,  nearly  all  is  left  to  the  Christians.  1 

Mr.  B.  Then,  has  not  Christianity  the  first  claims  on 
your  attention?  Again,  if  Christianity  be  founded  in 
falsehood,  Mohammedism  at  once  falls  to  the  ground 
with  it,  and,  in  the  opinion  of  all,  except  the  Jews,  Ju¬ 
daism  also:  so,  that  the  question  ultimately  reduces  it¬ 
self  to  Christianity,  or  no  revealed  religion;  as  Paley 
has  stated  it  in  the  beginning  of  his  work  on  the  Evi¬ 
dences.  Further,  Mohammedism  cannot  be  from  God, 
inasmuch  as  it  professes  to  be  of  universal  obligation, 
and  yet  commands  observances,  which,  in  the  nature  of 
things,  cannot  be  universally  observed.  The  religion, 
said  to  have  been  promulgated  by  Moses  and  the  other 
prophets,  previously  to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem, 
and  the  dispersion  of  the  nation,  was  designed  for  that 
nation  only,  and  we  cannot,  therefore,  immediately  ar¬ 
gue  as  to  its  truth  or  falsity.  The  Jews  of  modern  time, 
and  the  rest  of  the  world,  differ,  however,  as  to  the  true 
interpretation  of  the  religious  books  of  the  former;  and, 
if  the  anti-Judaical  interpretation  be  correct,  modern  Ju¬ 
daism  is  untenable,  which  is  rendered  almost  a  matter  of 
certainty,  by  the  fact,  that  hitherto  all  their  calculations 
and  expectations  have  proved  fallacious.  Lastly,  Chris¬ 
tianity  professes  to  be  of  universal  obligation,  and  con¬ 
tains,  within  it,  nothing  repugnant  to  the  possibility  of 
the  assertion.  It  has  also  stood  the  test  of  time,  and 
has  never  yet  been  positively  demonstrated  to  be  false. 
It  is  held  by  the  most  enlightened  nations  in  the  world, 
and  hence  arises  at  least  some  degree  of  probability  for 
its  truth.  Now,  under  all  these  circumstances,  which 
are  mere  matters  of  fact,  acknowledged  by  foes,  as  well 
as  friends,  the  advocate  for  Christianity  maintains  its  pre¬ 
eminent  claims  to  a  full  investigation.  Admitting,  for 
argument’s  sake,  the  possibility,  that  the  Deistical  creed 
is  correct,  according  to  their  own  sentiments,  as  to  the 
importance  of  truth,  they  must,  out  of  their  own  mouths, 


80  What  would  be  the  consequence,  if  Christianity  is  founded  in  error  1 
81  Why  may  not  Mohammedism  be  from  God  1 — 82  Of  the  religion,  said 
to  have  been  given  by  Moses,  what  is  said  ! — 83  How  is  modern  Judaism 
shown  to  be  untenable  1 — 84  On  what  ground  does  the  advocate  for  Chris* 
tianity  maintain  its  claim  to  investigation  1 


24 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


be  condemned  of  God,  for  not  inquiring  into  the  truth 
of  a  religion  which,  at  first,  appeared  likely  to  be  from 
Him. 

Maria.  This  is,  to  me,  perfectly  convincing.  I  am 
only  surprised  at  your  arguing  so  long  upon  a  point, 
which  I  was  not  aware  was  disputed,  as  to  the  claims 
of  Christianity  to  examination:  and,  yet,  you  have  not 
brought  forward  the  consequences  in  a  future  state, 
should  the  Christian  statement  prove  true.  f 

Mr.  B.  I  have  not,  and  for  this  reason, — a  Christian 
may  tell  an  unbeliever,  that  his  happiness,  or  misery,  in 
a  future  state,  depends  upon  his  conduct  now,  in  refer¬ 
ence  to  this  religion:  but,  the  sceptic  will  be  little  mov¬ 
ed  by  the  mere  assertion,  unless  other  circumstances  give 
it  weight.  He  would  probably  reply,  “All  other  relig¬ 
ions,  in  substance,  say  the  same.  I  cannot  enter  into 
an  examination  of  the  merits  of  each — it  is  impossible; 
and  why  should  I  prefer  inquiring  into  one,  rather  than 
another?  Your  arguments  can  only  amount  to  proba¬ 
bility,  and  other  creeds  may  be  supported  by  equal  or 
stronger  probabilities.”  r 

Maria.  To  this,  then,  your  argument  answers,  that 
there  is,  in  the  first  instance,  not  only  far  greater  proba¬ 
bility  of  its  being  true,  than  any  other,  but,  also,  strong 
probability  considered  merely  in  itself;  and  that,  as  no 
alleged  revelation,  of  which  there  is  only  a  possibility 
of  its  being  from  God,  can  be  safely  rejected,  without 
examination,  so  no  excuse  can  remain  for  a  neglect  of 
inquiry  into  this. 

Mr.  B.  And,  now,  I  scruple  not  to  add,  what  I  before 
omitted,  that  the  awful  consequences  of  rejection  ought 
to  have  the  greatest  weight  with  every  reflecting  mind. 
If  there  were  little  chance  of  Christianity’s  being  true, 
I  grant,  that  the  fear  of  those  consequences  should  have 
little  Weight;  for,  it  is  easy  to  raise  any  thing  into  im¬ 
portance,  by  attaching  to  it  the  possibility  of  awful  con¬ 
sequences:  but,  when  any  real  probability  exists,  of 

. .  . .  i  >  . . '  ■■  -■■■■■  ■  ■  ■  - ■ - . 

85  What  does  Maria  say  of  the  argument  thus  presented  *! — 86  What 
is  supposed  a  Christian  may  tell  an  unbeliever  1 — 87  And  what  reply 
might  the  latter  make  to  him  1— 88  With  what  additional  remarks  doe* 
Mr.  B.  conclude  the  first  conversation  1 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY. 


any  events  taking  place,  as  in  this  case,  we  know,  that 
the  real  importance  of  such  an  event,  to  us,  is  measured 
jointly  by  its  probability  and  its  consequences:  now,  the 
consequences  are  infinite,  in  case  Christianity  be  true; 
and,  therefore,  he  is  inexcusable,  who  rejects  Christiani¬ 
ty  without  examination,  or  neglects  its  claims. 


CONVERSATION  II. 

Mr.  B.  Having  seen  the  necessity  of  an  inquiry  into 
the  truth  of  the  Christian  religion,  we  are  naturally  led 
to  ask,  by  what  means  we  can  ascertain  it. 

Edward.  We  are  here  under  great  disadvantages,  in 
that  so  long  a  period  has  elapsed  since  its  first  promul¬ 
gation. 

Mr.  B.  But,  in  consequence,  we  have  no  reason  to 
believe,  that  any  further  discoveries,  relative  to  the  sub¬ 
ject,  Will  hereafter  be  made. 

Edivard.  From  the  disagreement  of  its  partisans 
among  themselves,  we  are  also  deprived  of  the  benefit 
of  immediately  ascertaining  what  is  Christianity,  and  oi> 
what  foundation  it  rests. 

Maria.  Yet  this  secures  the  certainty,  that  there  is  no 
collusion. 

Edivard.  And,  from  the  rejection  of  it,  by  many  emi¬ 
nent  men,  we  have  some  reason  to  fear,  that  all  inquiry 
will  prove  fruitless. 

Mr.  B.  Their  exertions  against  it,  have,  however, 
been  of  the  greatest  use  in  eliciting  truth,  which  is  the 
great  object  we  hate  in  view. — Let  us  now  see,  whence 
we  can  obtain  information  on  the  subject,  confining  our¬ 
selves  strictly  to  facts,  which  all  acknowledge.  We 
have,  then,  the  existence  of  three  religions,  a  good  deal 


1  With  what  observation  does  Mr.  B.  introduce  the  second  conversa¬ 
tion  1 — 2  What  does  Edward  say  may  still  impose  difficulties  in  the  in¬ 
vestigation  1— 3  What  does  Mr.  B.  say  has  been  of  great  service  in  elicit¬ 
ing  truth  1 


3 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


26 

connected  with  each  other,  but,  of  which  the  advocates 
of  each  maintain,  that  the  followers  of  the  other  two  are 
deceived.  We  have  the  records,  to  which  these  parties 
respectively  appeal,  as  containing  the  sum  of  their  relig¬ 
ions,  and  for  which  they  claim  a  divine  origin.  We  have, 
lastly,  an  immense  mass  of  controversial  writing  upon 
the  subject,  which  the  advocates  of  each  party  regard  as 
decisive.  But,  Mohammedism  overthrows  itself;  and 
hardly  the  shadow  of  a  proof  remains  in  behalf  of  Juda¬ 
ism:  so,  that  our  attention  is  only  directed  to  the  works 
of  their  advocates,  so  far  as  they  may  be  likely  to  over¬ 
throw  Christianity. 

Edward.  We  have,  also,  to  consider  the  works  of  those, 
who  have  rejected  all  revealed  religion,  as  the  modern 
Deists,  and  those  who  rejected  Christianity  at  its  first 
appearance  among  the  Pagans. 

Mr.  B.  At  present,  I  assume  nothing,  however,  rela¬ 
tive  to  the  first  appearance  of  Christianity;  that  is  a  mat¬ 
ter  for  future  consideration.  Now,  the  truth  of  the  re¬ 
ligion,  independently  of  what  internal  evidence  of  a  divine 
origin  its  sacred  records  may  furnish,  evidently  depends 
upon  the  truth  of  those  records,  and  that,  upon  the  writ¬ 
ings  of  those,  who  have  defended  them.  These  writings, 
talso,  must  be  considered  in  two  classes.  We  either  re¬ 
fer  to  them  for  arguments,  or  for  facts.  With  reference 
to  the  former,  it  is  of  no  consequence  when  they  were 
written,  as  truth  is  invariable;  with  reference  to  the  lat¬ 
ter,  it  is  of  the  greatest  consequence  in  some  cases,  and 
in  all  of  considerable  importance  to  determine  their  ori-r 

gin. 

Maria.  Will  you  give  us  a  sketch  of  the  history  (if  I 
may  so  call  it),  of  the  controversies,  which  have  taken 
place  on  the  subject,  and  which  hawe  given  birth  to  the 
writings,  which  form  the  materials  in  question? 

Mr.  j B.  You  will  find  an  admirable  outline  already 


4  Wliat  is  said  of  the  evidence  of  the  three  religions  here  presented  to 
view  1 — 5  Of  Mohammedism  and  Judaism,  what  is  said  1 — 6  On  what 
docs  the  truth  of  Christianity  depend,  independent  of  its  internal  evidence  1 
7  What  is  said  of  the  classification  of  the  writings  to  be  examined  in  this 
discussion  1 — 8  What  request  does  Maria  make  1 — 9  What  is  said  of  the 
admirable  outline  of  this  history,  to  which  Mr.  B.  refers  I 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


27 


traced,  by  the  hand  of  a  master,  in  the  first  volume  of 
Bishop  Van  Mildert’s  Boyle  Lectures,  and,  in  the  notes 
to  it,  abundant  references  to  the  best  sources  of  informa¬ 
tion.  An  historical  survey  of  this  kind,  however,  implies 
some  knowledge  of  the  subject  itself  in  the  reader,  as, 
otherwise,  it  is  a  mere  recapitulation  of  disputes  about 
names,  to  which  no  distinct  ideas  are  attached.  You 
must,  therefore,  for  the  present,  content  yourselves,  with 
references  to  the  works,  which  give  an  account  of  the 
various  defenders  and  opponents  of  Christianity.  The 
best  of  these  is,  Leland’s  View  of  the  Deistical  Writers, 
which  is  very  valuable,  from  giving  a  fair  statement  of 
their  writings  in  detail,  and  a  temperate  reply  to  each, 
though  rather  tedious,  from  the  nature  of  the  subject. 

Maria.  The  name  -of  Deist,  only  refers  to  modern  wri¬ 
ters  against  Christianity,  I  believe. 

Mr.  B.  “The  name  of  Deists,  as  applied  to  those, 
who  are  no  friends  to  revealed  religion,  is  said  to  have 
been  first  assumed  about  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  cen¬ 
tury,  by  some  gentlemen  in  France  and  Italy,  who  were 
willing  to  cover  their  opposition  to  the  Christian  revela¬ 
tion,  by  a  more  honourable  name,  than  that  of  Atheists. 
One  of  the  first  authors,  as  I  can  find,  that  makes  ex¬ 
press  mention  of  them,  is  Viret,  a  divine  of  great  evi¬ 
dence  among  the  first  reformers,  who,  in  the  epistle 
dedicatory,  prefixed  to  the  second  tome  of  his  Instruction 
Chretienne,  which  was  published  in  1563,  speaks  of  some 
persons  in  that  time,  who  called  themselves  by  a  new 
name,  that  of  Deists.” — Leland’s  View,  Sfc.  Letter  I. 

Baruel’s  Merhoirs  of  Jacobinism,  will  give  you  suffi¬ 
cient  information,  with  respect  to  the  French  authors  on 
this  subject,  and  you  will  find  a  great  deal  of  useful  in¬ 
formation  in  Nichol’s  Literary  Anecdotes  of  the  Eighteenth 
Century.  Hartwell  Horne’s  Introduction  to  the  Critical 
Study  of  the  Scriptures ,  and  Orme’s  Bibliotheca  Biblica, 
also  give  references  to  some  of  the  more  important  works; 
and  the  Bibliotheca  Britannica  of  Dr.  Watt,  under  the 


10  Which  is  the  best  of  the  works,  to  which  allusion  is  made’? — 11 
What  does  Mr.  B.  say  of  the  origin  ofthe  name  of  Deists  1 — 12  What  is 
said  of  Baruel’s  Memoirs  of  Jacobinism1? — 13  What  other  works  are 
named  1 


28 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


articles  of  Scepticism,  Infidelity,  &c.  &c.  will  direct  you 
to  many  more. — To  you,  Edward,  I  may  also  recom¬ 
mend  the  Bibliotheca  Theologica  Selecta  of  Walchius, 
and  the  Delectus  Argumentofmn  et  Syllabus  Scriptorum, 
fyc.  of  Fabricius.  It  may  be  as  well  to  mention  here, 
that  sortie  very  valuable  articles,  either  directly  upon 
some  branch  of  the  evidences,  or  intimately  connected 
with  them,  have  appeared  in  various  reviews,  particu¬ 
larly  the  British  Critic,  and  the  Quarterly  Review,  which 
jmu  will  find  well  deserving  of  your  attention,  after  you 
have  acquired  further  knowledge  of  the  subjects  most 
agitated  in  controversy.  The  Boyle,  Bampton,  War- 
burtonian,  and  Hulsean  Lectures,  together  with  various 
essays  for  prizes,  given  at  the  Universities  and  else¬ 
where,  must  not  be  forgotten;  and,  lastly,  as  the  original 
Encyclopedic  contains  almost  all,  that  can  be  insinuated 
against  Christianity,  the  English  Encyclopaedias ,  in  gen¬ 
eral,  are  well  worth  consulting  on  its  behalf,  both  for  the 
intrinsic  value  of  the  articles,  and  the  references  they 
give  to  the  authors,  from  whose  works  they  are  com¬ 
piled. 

Maria.  Must  not  a  distinction  be  drawn,  between  those 
writers  who  establish  facts,  and  those  who  merely  argue 
from  such  facts? 

Mr.  B.  Certainly;  in  the  first  "case,  we  have  princi¬ 
pally  to  do  with  the  truth  of  the  statements;  in  the  sec¬ 
ond,  with  the  soundness  of  the  arguments. 

Edward.  Does  not  the  quantity  of  writing  on  the  sub¬ 
ject,  in  some  measure  militate  against  it?  If  the  eviden¬ 
ces  are  sufficiently  convincing,  surely  it  could  never  be 
necessary  to  write  so  much ;  and  the  doubts  and  difficul¬ 
ties  of  its  opponents  must  have  some  solid  ground,  or 
they  would  never  be  so  often  renewed. 

Mr.  B.  Christianity  is  not  answerable  for  the  conduct 
of  its  advocates,  further,  than  it  may  be  shown  to  dictate 
it.  You  cannot  infer  the  weakness  of  a  cause,  from  the 


14  What  is  said  of  the  English  Encyclopedias  1 — 15  What  supposition 
does  Edward  make,  indicat'ng  the  insufficiency  of  the  evidence  in  favour 
of  Christianity  1 — 16  Is  Christianity  answerable  for  the  conduct  of  its 
advocates  1 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY. 


29 

imbecility  of  its  defenders.  But,  the  advocates  of  Chris¬ 
tianity,  you  will  find,  men  of  a  very  different  class.  The 
deep  interest  of  the  subject,  has  been  the  primary  cause 
of  the  great  number  of  publications  on  it.  As  to  your 
second  objection,  Dr.  Gerard  will  answer  it  for  me. 

“  There  is  no  subject,  on  which  doubts  and  difficulties 
may  not  be  started,  by  ingenious  and  disputatious  men; 
and,  therefore,  from  the  number  of  their  objections,  and 
the  length  of  the  controversy  to  which  they  give  occa¬ 
sion,  we  cannot,  in  any  case,  conclude,  that  the  original 
evidence  is  weak,  or,  even,  that  it  is  not  obvious  and 
striking.  Were  we  to  presume,  that  every  principle  is 
dubious,  against  which  specious  objections  may  be  con¬ 
trived,  we  should  be  quickly  led  into  universal  scepti¬ 
cism.  The  two  ways,  in  which  the  ingenuity  of  specu¬ 
lative  men  has  been  most  commonly  employed,  are,  dog¬ 
matical  assertions  of  doubtful  opinions,  and  subtle  cavils 
against  certain  truths.” — Gerard’s  Dissertations,  vol.  ii* 

P-  4  , 

Edivard.  I  would  not  bring  forward  objections,  merely 
for  the  sake  of  shewing  my  own  ingenuity  in  devising 
them;  but,  before  I  feel  entirely  satisfied,  as  to  the  jus¬ 
tice  of  your  arguments  against  those,  who  neglect  to  in¬ 
quire  into  the  truth  of  Christianity,  and  reject  it  without 
examination, — it  appears  to  me  necessary  to  shew,  that 
there  is  some  reasonable  prospect  of  their  being  able  to 
come  to  a  decision  on  the  subject, — which,  I  think,  is 
not  the  case:  the  dispute  appears  interminable.  If  there 
were  any  one  treatise  extant,  which  Christians  would 
agree  in,  as  being  that  defence  on  which  they  were  wil¬ 
ling  to  rest  the  issue  of  the  inquiry,  there  might  be  some 
hope  of  coming  to  a  decision;  but,  when  the  whole  Chris¬ 
tian  world  is  at  variance,  not  only  as  to  what  is  Christi¬ 
anity,  but,  also,  as  to  how  it  is  to  be  defended,  surely 
some  allowance  must  be  made  for  men,  who  have  other 
things  to  attend  to,  as  well  as  theological  inquiries. 

17  What  does  Mr.  B.  say  of  them  1 — 18  What  is  the  substance  of  Dr. 
Gerard’s  remarks,  quoted  in  answer  to  one  of  Edward’s  objections  1 — 19 
Why  does  he  bring  forward  objections  1 — 20  What  apology  does  lie  think 
may  be  given,  for  the  neglect  of  many,  in  making  a  decision  upon  the 
subject  1 


30 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


Mr.  B.  There  is  no  solid  argument  in  your  objection: 
any  one,  who  is  really  anxious  on  the  subject,  will  soon 
obtain  sufficient  information,  both  as  to  what  Christianity 
is,  and  by  whom,  and  in  what  manner,  it  has  been  de¬ 
fended,  and  will  naturally  turn  to  the  examination  of  that 
kind  of  proof,  which  has  most  weight  with  him  in  other 
subjects.  Besides,  the  clergy  furnish  a  constant  re¬ 
source. 

Edward.  But,  if  Christianity  be  of  that  great  impor¬ 
tance,  which  is  alleged,  why  has  not  the  whole  body  of 
proof  been  collected  and  arranged,  in. such  a  manner  as 
to  enable  every  one,  at  once,  to  see  all  that  can  be  said 
in  its  favour?  I  know,  indeed  that  there  are  collections, 
professing  to  be  demonstrations  of  the  proof  of  the  Chris¬ 
tian  religion;  but,  there  is  none,  so  far  as  I  have  ever 
heard,  which  all  agree  in  holding  forth  as  such.  Chris¬ 
tianity  is  either  capable  of  demonstration,  or  it  is  not:  if 
the  latter,  I  do  not  see  how  it  can  be  defended  at  all, 
unless  the  threatening  declarations  of  the  New  Testa¬ 
ment  are  explained  away  ;  but,  if  the  former,  why  have 
we  not  such  a  proof  as  the  Mecanique  Celeste  is  of  the 
Newtonian  system  of  the  world? 

Mr.  B.  Because,  the  nature  of  the  subject  hardly  will 
admit  of  such  a  proof;  and  beefause,  if  it  did,  it  would  be 
useless.  Absolute  mathematical  demonstration  cannot 
be  obtained.  All  that  is  necessary  to  be  obtained,  in 
proof  of  Christianity,  is  such  a  degree  of  probability,  as 
ought  to  induce  men  to  act  agreeably  to  it.  For,  if  it 
can  be  shewn,  that  men  act,  in  other  cases,  upon  less 
proof  than  this  question  affords,  their  own  conduct  suffi¬ 
ciently  proves  the  truth  of  the  assertion  of  our  Lord, 
“  That  this  is  the  condemnation,  that  light  is  come  into 
the  world;  but.  that  men  love  darkness  rather  than  light, 
because  their  deeds  are  evil.”  You  refer  to  the  Meca- 
niqve  Celeste,  as  being  an  example  of  a  perfect  proof  of 
the  theory  of  universal  gravitation ;  suppose  a  person  in 


21  What  reply  does  Mr.  B.  make  to  this  1 — 22  What  question  does 
Edward  here  propose,  intimating  a  doubt  as  to  the  supposed  importance 
of  Christianity  1 — 23  How  does  he  present  the  argument  1 — 24  What  does 
Mr.  B.  say, of -the.  absolute  proof  in  its  favour,  which  .Edward  desires  1— 
25  How  does  lie  illustrate  the  unreasonableness  of  Edward’s  request  1 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


31 


common  life  was  desirous  of  knowing  all  “  that  could  be 
said  in  favour”  of  that  theory,  how  far  would  the  Meca- 
niqtie  Celeste  afford  him  assistance? 

Edward.  He  would  hardly  understand  a  page  of  it. 

Mr.  B.  Then,  where  is  the  utility  of  your  complete 
demonstration  for  common  use?  The  very  first  para¬ 
graph  of  the  work  alluded  to,  altogether  overthrows  any 
argument  you  can  raise  from  the  existence  of  the  work 
itself,  both  as  respects  absolute  demonstration  and  prac¬ 
tical  utility.  If  the  observations  on  which  astronomy  is 
founded,  and  which  demand  the  greatest  degree  of  at¬ 
tention,  as. well  as  perfection  of  instrument,  be  incorrect; 
or  that  refined  analysis,  which  it  requires  the  utmost  ex¬ 
ertion  of  the  mind  to  follow,  be  in  any  instance  fa'sely 
applied,  all  falls  to  the  ground.  •  Need  I  remind  you  of 
the  necessity  there  is  for  applying  to  the  whole  of  the 
results  obtained,  in  the  most  careful  manner,  the  theory 
of  chances,  for  the  calculation  of  the  probability  of  er¬ 
rors  ? 

Edward.  But,  the  proof  of  Christianity  is  not  of  so 
complicated  a  nature;  if  it  were,  it  would,  itself,  be  an 
objection;  for,  it  would  be  impossible,  that  the  bulk  of 
mankind  could  understand  it. 

Mr.  B.  The  full  proof  of  Christianity,  if  systematically 
detailed,  would  be  quite  as  complicated,  and  altogether 
removed  above  the  reach  of  ordinary  men:  but,  a  proof 
sufficient  to  convince  every  rational  man,  is  within  the 
reach  of  all. 

Maria.  In  what  manner? 

Mr.  B.  A  proof,  such  as  your  brother  demanded,  must 
ultimately  depend  upon  the  books  of  the  Old  and  New 
Testaments,  in  their  original  languages:  the  origin  of 
those  books,  would,  therefore,  have  to  be  ascertained, 
which  would  involve  the  question,  also,  of  the  authen¬ 
ticity  and  credibility  of  all  those  authors,  on  whom  we 
depended  for  information  on  the  subject;  and  these. 


26  What  does  he  sav  of  the  Mecanique  Celeste,  as  tending  to  aid  the 
objection  of  Edward  '! — 27  For  what  does  he  say  there  is  a  necessity  1— * 
28  If  the  proof  of  Christianity  were  complicated,  what  does  Edward  think 
would  be  the  consequence  ? — 29  What  does  Mr.  B.  say  of  this  1 — SO  O®. 
wlul  would  depend  a  full  proof  of  Christianity,  systematically  detailed  * 


32 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


again,  dependent  upon  others;  and,  then,  would  come 
the  calculation  of  chances  of  error.  Judge,  from  this 
one  portion  of  what  would  be  requisite,  what  the  whole 
would  be.  On  the  other  hand,  such  a  proof  as  ought  to 
convince  a  rational  inquirer,  may  be  soon  made  out; 
there  are  abundance  already  in  circulation.  Thus,  when 
I  say  Christianity  is  the  religion  founded  by  Jesus  Christ, 
as  contained  in  the  New  Testament,  which  is  a  collec¬ 
tion  of  writings  of  his  first  followers,  and  proves,  from 
facts,  which  cannot  be  denied,  and  reasoning,  which 
cannot  be  overthrown,  that  the  religion  itself  is  from 
God;  which  is  further  established  by  the  Scriptures  of 
the  Old  Testament,  by  the  internal  evidence  of  the  ex¬ 
cellency  of  the  religion,  -and  by  the  history  of  the  world, 
— I  sum  up  the  proof  of  Christianity;  and,  if  any  one 
deny,  or  doubt  the  truth  of  any  of  these  assertions,  I 
have  a  right  to  refer  him  to  those  authors,  whose  works, 
in  detail,  fully  prove  these  points.  I  may,  to  shorten  his 
labour,  give  an  analysis  of  the  process  used  to  establish 
each  of  these  particulars;  but,  it  can  no  more  be  expect¬ 
ed,  that  I  should  give  all  the  detail,  than,  that  Laplace 
should  have  first  established  the  truth  of  every  proposi¬ 
tion  in  pure  mathematics  of  which  he  makes  use. 

Edward.  But,  Laplace  quotes  them,  because  they  are 
indisputable:  now,  the  proofs  of  the  particular  proposi¬ 
tions,  on  which  the  truth  of  Christianity  depends,  are 
not  so. 

Mr.  B.  Have  they  been  disproved? 

Edward.  Not  that  I  know  of:  but  many  eminent  men 
have  rejected  Christianity,  and  have  written  against  it. 

Mr.  B.  You  may  rely  upon  it,  that,  had  any  actual 
demonstration  been  made  out  against  Christianity,  you 
would  not  have  been  ignorant  of  the  fact;  its  enemies 
have  been  too  active  to  let  any  thing  of  that  kind  be 
passed  over.  Now,  consider,  for  a  moment,  the  extent 


31  How  does  Mr.  B.  state  the  leading  facts  in  the  Christian  system  ? 
32  If  one  were  to  doubt,  or  deny,  the  truth  of  any  of  these  positions, 'how 
ought  he  to  be  01611 — 83  In  what  wav  does  Mr.  B.  refer  to  Laplace  l— 
34  How  does  Edward  aim  to  controvert  this  argument  1 — 35  If  any  de¬ 
monstration  had  been  made  out  against  Christianity',  wh.i>  would  hara 
been  the  consequence  1 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


33 


of  proof  on  behalf  of  Christianity,  and  from  how  many 
quarters  it  has  been  open  to  exposure,  if  false.  In  its 
statements  of  historical  facts,  in  criticism,  in  morality,  in 
physical  truth.  If  it  could  have  been  positively  proved, 
for  example,  that  such  a  person  as  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
never  existed,  or,  that  the  New  Testament  was  a  forgery, 
or,  that  it  was  contrary  to  sound  morality,  or,  that  it  con¬ 
tained  statements  contrary  to  what  we  know  to  be  the 
real  state  of  the  earth,  or  commanded  observances  im¬ 
possible,  in  the  nature  of  things,  to  be  observed  by  all 
men,  at  the  same  time,  that  it  professed  to  be  of  univer¬ 
sal  obligation;  in  any  of  these  cases,  the  question  would 
have  been  set  at  rest  for  ever.  You  have  also  just  as¬ 
serted,  that  many  eminent  men  have  written  against  it  : 
now,  if  they  could  thus  have  proved  Christianity  to  be 
false,  would  they  not  have  done  it? 

Maria.  Certainly;  for,  by  their  writing  against  it,  they 
shewed  their  wish  to  prove  it  false. 

Mr.  B.  Yes;  and  by  their  net  writing  against  it  in 
those  particulars,  where  their  peculiar  knowledge  best 
enabled  them  to  detect  falsehood,  they  have  given  us  the 
strongest  proof,  that  there  it  was  invulnerable. 

Maria.  So,  that  the  very  fact  you  adduce,  i§  against 
you. 

Mr.  B.  But,  there  are  other  eminent  men,  besides  the 
Deists;  and,  what  do  you  say  to  the  testimony,  which 
they  give  on  the  points,  where  they  were  best  able  to 
determine  the  truth  or  falsity  of  these  propositions? 
Why,  those  very  men,  whose  names  stand  the  highest  in 
each  department,  are  defenders  of  Christianity,  and  that, 
because  they  knew,  in  what  they  were  most  immediately 
concerned  with,  the  proofwas  decisive.  Now,  take  these 
two  facts  together,  and  you  will  see,  there  is  sufficient 
ground  for  belief,  that  the  professed  proofs  are  real 
proofs.  But,  if  any  one  is  disposed  to  doubt  further,,  let 


36,  What  does  Mr.  B.  tell  Edward  to  consider  ! — 37  What  case  does 
lie  take  for  illustration  ! — 38  What  question  does  he  ask  Edward,  con¬ 
cerning  the  persons  who  have  written  against  Christianity! — 39  How  did 
they  show,  that  they  considered  it  invulnerable! — 40  What  two  facts  does 
Mr.  B.  present  to  the  consideration  of  Edward  and  Maria  ! — 41  if  any 
fine  is  disposed  further  to  doubt,  what  is  he  to  do  ! 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


34 

him  examine ;  the  whole  is  open  to  examination ;  but  not 
condemn  others  for  looking  upon  such  points  as'  proved, 
which  those,  most  inimical  to  Christianity,  and  peculiarly 
fitted  to  examine,  have  not  disproved,  as  well  as  resting 
satisfied  with  the  researches  of  its  friends,  who  believed, 
in  consequence  of  those  researches,  and  whose  testimo¬ 
ny,  in  any  other  case,  would  have  been  believed  in  such 
subjects  as  they  were  most  conversant  with. 

Edward.  This,  however,  is  placing  the  belief  of  many 
upon  a  lower  ground,  than  that  of  others. 

J\lr.  B.  It  is,  and,  in  the  nature  of  things,  it  must  be 
so.  Men  are  placed  in  such  an  infinite  variety  of  situa-  - 
tions,  that  the  great  Creator  of  all  can  alone  be  the  judge, 
as  to  where  guilt  attaches,  and  where  it  does  not.  All 
that  I  contend  for,  is,  that  no  sufficient  reason  can  be 
adduced,  on  behalf  of  actual  infidelity,,  scepticism,  or 
latitudinarianism,  to  militate  against  the  language  of  the 
New  Testament.  The  Judge. of  all  the  earth  shall  sure¬ 
ly  do  right ;  and  every  circumstance  of  birth,  education, 
and  situation  in  life,  will  have  its  due  weight  with  him: 
but,  the  result  of  much  reading  and  reflection  on  the  sub¬ 
ject,  has  led  me  to  a  conclusion,  which  you  may  at  pres¬ 
ent  think  harsh, — that  the  real  cause  of  infidelity  lies  in 
the  heart,  more  than  in  the  head;  in  the  will,  more  than 
in  the  circumstances  of  the  individual. 


CONVERSATION  III. 

Edward.  I  fear  I  have  wearied  both  you,  sir,  and  my 
sister,  by  my  former  objections:  but,  my  anxiety  to  have 
my  mind  at  rest  upon  all  preliminary  points,  previously 
to  entering  upon  the  actual  examination  of  the  evidences 


42  To  what  statement  of  Edward,  ddes  Mr.  B.  assent”? — 43  Of. what 
does  he  say,  that  the  great  Creator  alone  can  be  the  Judge  1 — 44  For  what 
does  he  contend  1 — 45  Where  does  he  say,  that  infidelity  lies  ? 

1  With  what  remark  does  Edward  commence  this  conversation  ”! 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY.  35 

themselves,  induced  me  to  press  the  doubts  I  have  already 
expressed;  and,  fbr  the  same  reason,  I  should  wish  to 
consider  one  more  and  very  serious  objection,  which  ap¬ 
pears  to  me  to  lie  at  the  threshold  of  all  further  investi¬ 
gation,  viz.  that  the.  whole  proof  of  Christianity  depends 
upon  the  veracity  of  those  interested  in  its  defence. 

Maria.  Not  all,  brother. 

Edivard.  Yes,  all,  directly  or  indirectly.  It  is  from 
Christians,  that  we  have  our  accounts  of  the  origin  and 
history  of  Christianity.  It  is  from  them,  we  have  re¬ 
ceived  the  Scriptures,  which  contain  its  precepts;  from 
their  hands,  also,  have  we  received  the  works  of  those, 
who  rejected  this  religion,  and  which  may  have  been 
garbled  to  serve  its  cause.  If  even  their  own  statement 
be  correct,  for  fifteen  hundred  years  every  thing  has  been 
in  their  own  power.  Its  defenders,  in  later  ages,  have 
been  evidently  interested  in  supporting  it:  of  those,  who 
lived  at  an  earlier  period,  we  know  nothing,  but  through 
the  accounts  of  their  successors.  These  defenders,  also, 
have  been  the  priests  of  this  religion,  and  had,  therefore, 
a  further  interest  in  maintaining  it.  How,  then,  can  we 
rely  upon  any  proof  derived  from  such  sources? 

Maria.  This  is,  indeed,  a  strong  charge ;  can  you  over- 
thrbw  it,  sir? 

Mr.  B.  As  far  as  is  necessary.  I  must,  however,  take 
it  for  granted,  that  you  are  acquainted  with  what  is  gen¬ 
erally  believed  to  be  the  true  history  of  Europe,  during 
the  period  you  have  alluded  to,  I  must,  also,  beg  you 
to  give  some  attention  to  the  present  state  of  the  Chris¬ 
tian  world. 

Edivard.  It  is  divided  into  a  great  number  of  sects,  all 
at  variance  with  each  other. 

Mr.  B.  You  will  not  dispute,  I  suppose,  the  truth  of 
those  facts,  which  are  acknowledged  by  persons  of  all 
parties,  infidels  as  well  as  Christians. 

Edward.  Certainly  not. 

Mr.  B.  And,  I  suppose,  you  will  acknowledge,  that 

2  From  whom  do  we  receive  accounts  of  the  origin  and  progress  of 
Christianity  t — 3  What  inference  does  Edward  think  mav  be  drawn,  from 
this  circumstance,- against  its  truth  1 — 4  What  does  Mr.  B.  take  for  grant¬ 
ed  1 — 5  What  does  he  suppose  7 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


36 

the  works,  generally  received  in  thd  world,  as  the  pro¬ 
ductions  of  the  persons  whose  names  they  bear,  for  the 
last  ihree  centuries,  at  least,  were  really  such. 

Edivard.  Undoubtedly;  the  invention  of  printing  sets 
the  matter  at  rest. 

Mr.  B.  Then,  it  is  certain,  that  never  were  nations 
more  opposed  to  each  other,  than  many  of  the  Christian 
sects  have  been.  Could  there  have  been  any  system  of 
deception  in  common,  among  those,  who  persecuted  each 
other  to  death? 

Edward.  I  should  think  not. 

Mr.  B.  If  there  had  been  any  system  of  deception  kept 
up  among  the  priests,  would  it  have  been  concealed, 
notwithstanding  all  the  martyrdoms  that  took  place  ? 

Edward.  No;  those,  who  were  put  to  death  by  Chris¬ 
tians,  would  never  have  died  in  the  faith  of  Christ,  had 
they  not  believed  the  religion  of  Christ  to  have  been  from 
Heaven. 

Mr.  B.  The  whole  of  the  documents,  then,  on  which 
we  rely,  could  not  have  been  forged  subsequently  to  the 
Reformation.  Now,  of  what  character  were  the  ages, 
which  preceded  it? 

Edioard.  They  are  generally  called  the  dark  ages,  from 
the  deplorable  state  of  ignorance  in  which  the  great  mass 
of  the  people  were. 

Mr.  B.  From  the  best  sources  of  information,  relative 
to  that  period,  what  was  the  character  of  the  clergy  ? 

Edward.  V ery  low  indeed,  both  as  to  morals  and  as  to 
intellectual  attainments. 

Mr.  B.  If,  then,  the  documents  of  the  period,  which 
preceded  it,  were  forged  at  that  time,  we  should  be  com¬ 
pelled  to  believe,  that  thousands  of  manuscripts  were 
written,  with  the  most  consummate  art,  and  dispersed, 


6  What  does  he  suppose,  in  relation  to  the  writers  of  the  last  three  cen¬ 
turies  1—7  What  does  he  then  presume  to  be  certain,  in  relation  to  many 
of  the  Christian  sects  1 — 8  When  Edward  admits  this,  what  question  does 
Mr.  B.  ask  him  1 — 9  In  relation  to  those  put  to  death  by  Christians,  what 
does  Edward  assert  1 — 10  Of  what  character  were  the  ages,  which  pre¬ 
ceded  the  Reformation  1 — 11  What  was  the  character  of  the  clergy,  dur¬ 
ing  those  ages  1 — 12  If  the  documents  of  the  period  preceding  the, Refer-' 
mation,  were  forged  at  that  time,  what  should  we  be  forced  to  believe  1 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY. 


37 

with  the  greatest  care,  by  men  utterly  unqualified  for  the 
task,  and  some  of  them  containing  sentiments  most  con¬ 
tradictory  to  the  course  of  life  they  were  pursuing ;  doc¬ 
uments,  which,  when  known,  must  occasion  the  downfal 
of  their  own  pretensions. 

Edward.  That  is  wholly  incredible. 

Mr.  B.  If,  then,  the  manuscripts  of  the  fathers,  and1 
the  classics,  were  really  written  by  the  persons,  whose 
names  they  bear,  and  at  the  times  and  in  the  places  al¬ 
leged,  (with  the  MSS.  of  the  New  Testament  I  do  not 
concern  myself  at  present),  how  far  is  it  probable,  such 
were  corrupted  by  those  Christians  of  the  middle  ages, 
through  wrhoee  hands  they  passed? 

Edward.  We  know,  that  the  manuscripts  of  the  class¬ 
ics,  were  found  neglected  in  the  libraries  of  monks,  who 
knew  not  the  value  of  what  they  possessed.  Those  of 
the  Fathers,  were  transcribed,  and  held  of  the  greatest 
authority  all  over  Europe.  Any  interpolation  of  the 
works  of  the  former,  would  never  have  been  an  object — 
any  interpolation  of  those  of  the  latter,  impracticable. 

Mr.  B.  When  these  works  were  first  edited,  was  it  with 
reference  to  the  interests  of  Christianity  ? 

Edward.  No:  some  of  the  revivers  of  literature,  were 
even  suspected  of  infidelity;  and  those,  who  edited  the 
Fathers,  never  thought  of  making  use  of  them  to  defend 
Christianity  itself. 

Mr.  B.  Then,  where  does  the  slightest  probability  ex 
1st,  that  the  documents,  on  which  we  depend  for  the  de¬ 
fence  of  Christianity,  are  otherwise,  than  what  they  pro¬ 
fess  to  be — genuine  productions  of  the  persons,  whose 
names  they  bear,  written  at  the  times  and  places  alleged, 
and  handed  down,  in  substance,  the  same  as  originally 
written?  For  a  more  particular  account,  of  course,  I 
must  refer  you  to  the  successive  editors  of  each,  who 
have  laboured  to  send  out  the  works  of  each  author,  as 
free  from  defect  as  possible. 

13  What  question  is  asked  by  Mr.  B.  respecting  the.  manuscripts  of  the 
fathers  and  the  classics  1 — 14  What  reply  does  Edward  make  to  it  1—15 
Were  these  works  first  edited  with  reference  to  the  interests  of  Christian¬ 
ity  !— lfi  Of  what  is  it  asked,  by  Mr.  B.,  where  exists  the  slightest  proba¬ 
bility! 


38 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


Edward.  But,  admitting  that  all  the  works,  to  which  it 
may  be  necessary  to  refer,  in  proof  of  the  truth  of  Chris¬ 
tianity,  be  genuine  and  unadulterated,  it  by  no  means 
follows,  that  they  are  true.  In  some  cases,  at  least,  very 
little  weight  can  be  attached  to  the  declarations  of  the 
fathers;  for,  I  believe,  it  is  generally  acknowledged, 
that  they  were  both  credulous,  and  addicted  to  exagger¬ 
ation. 

Mr.  B.  Perhaps  so;  and  we  must,  therefore,  be  care¬ 
ful  not  to  estimate  their  statements  beyond  their  intrinsic 
value. 

Edward.  But,  in  some  particulars,  we  are  almost  cer¬ 
tain,  they  have  recorded,  what  they  knew  *to  be  false: 
and,  is  the  testimony  of  such  persons  worth  any  thing? 
Does  not  their  conduct  throw  strong  suspicion  on  the  re¬ 
ligion  itself? 

Mr.  B.  One  of  the  most  violent  of  those,  who  have 
impeached  their  authority,  speaks  thus: — 

“  The  history  of  the  Gospel,  I  hope,  may  be  true, 
though  the  history  of  the  church  be  fabulous.  And,  if 
the  ecclesiastic  historians  have  recorded  many  silly  fic¬ 
tions,  under  the  name  of  miracles,  as  they  undoubtedly 
have,  the  blame  must  be  charged  to  the  writers,  not  to 
their  religion.” — Middleton’s  Works,  vol.  i,  p.  131, 4to  ed. 

The  use,  which  I  shall  make  of  their  works,  will  be 
such  as  cannot  be  materially  affected  by  your  objection. 

Maria.  Where  they  speak  of  things  as  passing  under 
the  public  eye,  or  as  being  acknowledged  by  their  ene¬ 
mies,  or  challenge  investigation,  in  cases  where  it  could 
easily  have  been  made,  and  would  have  decided  the 
question,  some  degree  of  credit  must  be  allowed  them. 
It  is  not  to  be  imagined,  that  they  would  give  their  ene¬ 
mies  so  easy  a  triumph  over  them,  as  to  render  them¬ 
selves  liable  to  certain  exposure,  by  greatly  departing 
from  the  truth  in  such  points. 

Edward.  In  cases,  where  their  statements  are  corrobo- 


17  What  assertion  does  Edward  make,  on  the  supposition,  that  the 
works  in  question  are  genuine  1 — 18  And,  what  question  does  he  ask,  in 
reference  to  the  admission  of  Mr.  B.,  that  this  supposition  may  be  cor¬ 
rect  1 — 19  What  quotation  is  made  from  Middleton,  on  the  subject?! — 20 
Jo  what  cases  does  Maria  consider  these  writings  entitled  to  credence  1 '  ’ 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


39 

rated  by  the  acknowledgment  of  their  enemies,  or  by  the 
fact  of  no  contrary  statement  having  been  published,  which 
might  reasonably  have  been  expected,  there  appears  no 
sufficient  ground,  for  withholding  the  assent  we  should 
give  to  any  indifferent  matter  of  well-authenticated  his¬ 
tory.  There  must,  however,  be  some  cases,  in  which  we 
shall  be  reduced  to  their  testimony  alone,  and  that,  per¬ 
haps,  in  points  of  great  importance. 

Mr.  B.  We  must,  therefore,  the  more  carefully  exam¬ 
ine  into  the  real  probability,  or  improbability,  of  the  truth 
offsuch  portions. 

Maria.  But,  the  evidence,  thus  scattered  through  a 
variety  of  authors,  in  different  languages,  is  completely 
inaccessible  to  ordinary  readers. 

Mr.  B.  It  has  been  collected.,  arranged,  and  trans¬ 
lated,  for  their  benefit,  by  the  defenders  of  Christianity, 
in  later  times. 

Maria.  But,  how  can  we  place  reliance  upon  works  of 
this  nature,  made  by  any  man,  who  has  a  personal  inte¬ 
rest  in  maintaining  one  side  of  a  disputed  point? 

Mr.  B.  Surely,  ordinary  readers  may  place  reliance 
upon  the  accuracy  of  his  translations,  when,  after  a  con¬ 
siderable  lapse  of  time,  his  most  acute  and  learned  ad¬ 
versaries  have  never  called  their  fidelity  in  question. 
Gibbon  was  no  friend  to  Christianity,  yet  he  placed  the 
greatest  reliance  upon  the  labours  of  “the  indefatigable 
Tillemont,”  and  “the  laborious  Lardner.”  It  also  so 
happens,  that  those,  who  have  laboured  most  in  works 
of  this  kind,  could  gain  or  lose  very  little,  whatever  might 
be  the  result. 

Maria.  Be  that  as  it  may,  still  it  is  reasonable  to  con¬ 
clude,  that  personal  interest  does  bias  many  of  the  de¬ 
fenders  of  Christianity,  and  prejudice  many  others  of 
those,  who  may  be  so  circumstanced,  as  not  to  have  much 
to  gain  or  lose.  If  men  fancy  Christianity  to  be  a  great 


21  In  what  cases  does  Edward  consider  them  entitled  to  it  1 — 22  Into 
■what,  then,  does  Mr.  B.  think,  that  examination  should  be  made  1 — 23 
Why  does  Maria  think  this  evidence  inaccessible  1 — 24  How  is  difficulty 
removed  1 — 25  On  what  ground  may  reliance  be  placed  on  the  accuracy 
of  these  translations  1 — 26  What  does  Maria  consider  a  reasonable  con¬ 
clusion,  in  relation  to  this  matter  1 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


40 

public  good,  in  the  first  instance,  it  is  hardly  likely,  that 
their  inquiries,  into  its  truth,  will  be  perfectly  fair. 

Mr.  B.  So  far  as  the  presenting  a  faithful  statement, 
of  all,  that  is  known  on  the  subject,  is  concerned,  such 
collectors  of  ancient  testimonies,  have  long  been  open  to 
detection  by  their  adversaries;  but,  these,  having  brought 
no  counter-statements,  the  unlearned  have  a  right  to  con¬ 
clude  the  former  are  correct.  As  to  opinions,  formed 
upon  such  collections,  they  must,  of  course,  be  tried  by 
their  intrinsic  Avorth,  and  the  degree  to  which  they  are 
borne  out,  by  the  authorities,  adduced.  In  the  fact,  of 
the  matter  being  equally  open  to  all  parties,  consists  the 
real  ground  of  confidence. 

Edward.  But,  considerable  allowances,  I  think,  ought 
to  be  made,  for  the  partiality,  which  it  is  natural  a  man 
should  feel,  for  any  line  of  argument,  which  he  may  have 
struck  out.  I  can  hardly  imagine  any  one  so  entirely 
destitute  of  personal  feeling,  as  to  examine  a  matter  of 
deep  interest,  when  his  view  of  it  appears  nearly  estab¬ 
lished,  with  the  same  equal  mind,  with  which  he  com¬ 
menced  his  inquiries. 

Mr.  B.  But,  others  do  not  feel  this  predilection;  ma¬ 
ny,  perhaps,  are  opposed  to  it.  There  is  a  tendency,  no 
doubt,  in  the  minds  of  some,  to  distort  facts,  so  as  to  fur¬ 
ther  an  hypothesis;  but,  since  this  exists,  on  the  one  side, 
as  well  as  the  other,  we  are  pretty  certain,  that  neither 
will  allow  the  other  to  continue  the  publication  of  false 
statements,  uncontradicted. 

Edward.  But,  readers  are  prejudiced,  as  well  as  wri¬ 
ters.  Those,  who  wish  to  find  Christianity  true,  are  not 
likely  to  examine  statements  in  its  favour,  with  that  de¬ 
gree  of  severity,  which  the  subject  requires. 

Mr.  B.  That  some  do  not,  is  certain;  but,  knowing 
your  liability  to  err,  in  this  respect,  you  can  the  more 
diligently  guard  against  it. 


27  Why  have  the  unlearned  a  right  to  conclude,  that  the  ancient  testi¬ 
monies,  on  the  subject,  are  presented  to  us  correctly  “? — 28  For  what  does 
Edward  think  considerable  allowance  is  to  be  made  t — 29  In  what 
does  Mr.  B.  suppose,  there  is  an  antidote  to  this  partiality,  in  Christian 
writers  I — 30  How  does  he  meet  Edward’s  difficulty,  in  respect  to  read¬ 
ers,  as  well  as  writers  I 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


41 


Edward.  But,  if  the  generality  of  readers  do  not,  one 
very  material  point  is  gained  against  Christianity,  viz.. 
the  alleged  general  superiority  of  the  Christian  advo¬ 
cates,  over  their  antagonists,  is  accounted  for,  and  no 
argument  can  be  drawn,  from  the  fact  of  the  prevalence 
of  the  religion,  and  its  successful  resistance  of  all  the 
attacks,  that  have  been  made  upon  it.  All  argument, 
founded  upon  .the  conduct,  also,  of  the  defenders  of 
Christianity,  must  depend  upon  the  probability,  that  they 
were  neither  deceivers,  nor  deceived;  but,  surely,  this 
probability  is  much  diminished,  by  the  causes  just  men¬ 
tioned;  and  how,  then,  can  it  be  inferred,  that  Christi¬ 
anity  must  be  true,  because  it  has  been  advocated  by 
wise,  and  good,  and  learned  men? 

Mr.  B.  It  cannot  be  inferred,  that  it  must  be  true; 
but,  that  it  probably  may  be  true,  is  not  an  unfair  conclu¬ 
sion.  The  possibility,  that  such  men  have  been  deceiv¬ 
ed,  must  certainly  be  allowed;  but,  from  this,  we  can 
only  infer,  that  their  example,  alone,  is  not  a  sufficient 
reason,  for  embracing  this  religion;  and,  that  their  rea¬ 
sons  for  so  acting,  ought  to  be  examined,  rather  than 
implicitly  received. 

Edward.  But,  in  addition  to  prejudice,  in  favour  of 
Christianity,,  the  clergy  (on  whom  the  task  of  defending 
it  is  naturally  devolved),  must  have  been  interested,  as 
well  as  prejudiced,  advocates. 

Mr.  B.  Are  you  £ure,  that  you  can  establish  that 
point  ? 

Edward.  Many  of  the  most  eminent  obtained  high  pre¬ 
ferment. 

Mr.  B.  But,  was  it  in  consequence  of  their  labours  in 
this  cause?  Was  preferment  a  probable  consequence? 

I  mean,  so  far  as  to  induce  the  clerical  advocates  to  de¬ 
fend  it? 


31  What  does  Edward  suppose  is  a  material  point  gained  against 
Christianity'! — 32  On  what  does  he  suppose  the  argument,  founded*  upon 
the  conduct  of  the  defenders  of  Christianity,  must  depend  1 — 33.  What  re¬ 
ply  does  Mr.  B.  make  to  this  1 — 34  What  does  Edward  say  of  the  clergy, 
who  were  the  advocates  of  Christianity  1 — 35  What  reply  is  made  to  his 
assertion,  that  many  of  the  most  eminent  obtained  high  preferment  ! 

4# 


42 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  TttE 


Edicard.  I  cannot  say,  decidedly;  but,  it  appears  to 
me,  no  very  improbable  supposition. 

Mr.  B.  A  more  correct  knowledge  of  church  history, 
would  have  taught  you  to  form  a  very  different  conclu¬ 
sion.  But,  whom  do  you  regard,  as  the  more  eminent 
defenders  of  Christianity  ? 

Edward.  My  knowledge  of  the  subject  is  only  very 
light;  but',  the  names,  which  more  immediately  occur 
to  me,  are  those  of  Sherlock,  Butler,  Warburton,  Wat¬ 
son,  Porteus,  Lesley,  Leland,  Bentley,  Clarke,  and 
Paley. 

Mr.  B.  In  general,  what  should  you  think  of  the  in¬ 
tellectual  powers  of  these  men? 

Edward.  Very  highly. 

Mr.  B.  You  would  not,  then,  think  them  liable  to  be 
deceived,  where  they  gave  sufficient  attention  to  the 
subject? 

Edward.  Not  unless  their  wishes,  to  find  some  opin¬ 
ion  correct,  biased  them. 

Mr.  B.  And  you  will  allow,  that  to  this  subject,  they 
did  give  sufficient  attention? 

Edward.  Certainly:  their  superior  advantages,  arising 
from  their  intimacy  with  it,  is  one  of  the  things,  which,  I 
think,  goes  far  to  account  for  their  superiority  over  their 
antagonists.  What  chance  could  such  a  man  as  Paine 
have  with  Watson,  even  supposing  the  former  had  been 
right?  But,  the  fact  of  their  supefior  advantages,  does 
not  exclude  the  probability  of  their  being  prejudiced  and 
biased,  by  their  wishing  to  prove  Christianity  true. 

Mr.  B.  As  to  their  wishes,  in  early  life,  we  know  noth¬ 
ing;  and,  it  is  too  much,  to  take  it  for  granted,  that  they 
only  inquired  into  the  truth  of  Christianity,  after  they 
had  pledged  themselves  to  support  it.  But,  passing  over 
that,  do  you  think,  they  were  originally  strongly  biased 
in  favour  of  the  established  creed,  or  not  ? 


86  Who  are  named,  as  among  the  more  eminent  clerical  defenders  of 
Christianity  1 — 37  What  were  their  intellectual  powers  t— 38  Does  Ed¬ 
ward  think  they  could  have  been  deceived  1 — 39  Mr.  B.  asks  him,  if  they 
gave  suflficieht  attention  to  the  subject — how  does  he  reply  to  this  ques¬ 
tion  t — 40  What  does  Mr.  B.  say,  is  too  much  to  take  for  granted  1 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


43 

Edward.  Not,  perhaps,  strongly;  but,  still,  in  such  a 
measure,  that  they  would  be  contented  with  less  proof, 
than  would  have  satisfied  men  of  their  acuteness  in  other 
subjects. 

Mr.  B.  What,  then,  is  your  idea  of  the  nature  of  the 
evidences  of  Christianity  ?  Is  its  proof  so  strong,  as  to 
put  the  matter  out  of  all  doubt ;  or,  merely  such  as  to 
persuade,  in  conjunction  with  prejudice  and  interest?  I 
presume  you  would  not  assert,  that  these  celebrated  men 
were  conscious,  they  were  defending  a  bad  cause  ? 

Edward.  Certainly  not;  but,  the  second  position  ap¬ 
pears  to  me  so  far  probable,  as  to  deserve  serious  con¬ 
sideration:  if  the  first  were  admitted,  of  course  the  whole 
ground  of  controversy  would  be  given  up. 

Mr.  B.  Nevertheless,  as  the  first  affords  the  most  nat¬ 
ural,  full,  and  sufficient  reason,  for  the  conduct  of  those, 
whom  you  allow  to  have  been  very  superior  men,  even 
after  all  the  deductions,  that  can  reasonably  be  made, 
the  fact,  that  such  men  have  been  the  defenders  of  Chris¬ 
tianity,  must  afford  some  degree  of  probability  of  its 
truth;  but,  admitting  the  second  to  be  more  correct,  how 
comes  it,  that  there  has  been  no  honest  man  found,  among 
all  the  numerous  and  learned  Christians,  of  all  classes, 
who  have  undertaken  the  defence  of  that  religion,  to  avow 
the  truth?  You  acknowledge  the  ability,  the  acuteness, 
the  learning,  of  those  you  have  mentioned;  and  the  list 
might,  without  much  labour,  be  greatly  extended.  Now, 
how  does  it  happen  (if  there  was  any  weakness  or  defect 
in  the  evidences),  that  they  should  have  all  professed  the 
same  conviction,  have  all  pushed  the  matter  into  notice, 
and  courted  a  discussion,  which  they  knew  would  prove 
fatal?  We  have  instances  of  men  changing  one  modifi¬ 
cation  of  Christianity  for  another;  relinquishing  prefer¬ 
ment,  and  exposing  themselves  to  persecution,  for  con¬ 
science  sake.  But,  where  are  those  men  of  sound  mind, 
who,  after  a  full  investigation,  have  renounced  the  relig- 

41  In  the  form  of  two  positions,  relating  to  the  evidences  of  Christian¬ 
ity,  What  question  does  Mr.  B.  ask  Edward  — 42  How  docs  Edward 
reply  to  it  1 — 43  Admitting  the  second  position  suggested  to  be  correct, 
what  question  does  Mr.  B.  ask,  as  involving  an  extraordinary  fact  1 — 44 
How  does  he  illustrate  this  question  1 


44 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


ion  itself  altogether?  Do  you  think,  you  could  bring 
forward  any  twelve  men,  of  competent  talents,  and  learn¬ 
ing,  who  are  known  to  have  been  free  from  all  bias  against 
Christianity,  and  who  can  be  proved  to  have  fully  exam¬ 
ined  into  its  claims,  who  yd  rejected  it?  You  think  much 
of  the  power  of  prejudice;  but,  I  will  remind  you  of  a 
set  of  advocates  for  Christianity,  who  have  been  accused 
of  a  spirit  very  opposite  to  prejudice,  and  equally  power¬ 
ful — a  love  of  innovation  and  change;  advocates,  indeed, 
who  have  not  left  formal  written  treatises,  but,  whose 
works  will  be  remembered,  whilst  the  world  lasts.  Were 
the  reformers,  whose  blood  was  poured  out  like  water, 
men  of  light  minds,  prejudiced,  and  interested?  When 
they  burst  from  the  yoke  of  Rome,  would  they  have  re¬ 
tained  that  of  Christ,  had  they  doubted  the  verity  of  his 
religion?  Would  it  not  have  been  as  easy  to  die  for  De¬ 
ism  as  for  Christianity?  Were  the  rack  and  the  stake 
likely  to  endear  the  profession  of  that  name?  No,  no! 
When  Luther  stood  in  the  Diet  of  Worms,  with  the  fate 
of  H  uss  before  his  eyes,  and  said,  “Thus  I  believe;  I 
cannot  do  otherwise — God  help  me!”  his  faith  was  not 
weak,  nor  ill  grounded:  when  Ridley  and  Latimer  ex¬ 
pired  in  the  flames,  they  had  not  lightly  discriminated 
between  the  religion  of  Christ,  and  that  which  condemn¬ 
ed -them  to  death.  They  knew,  there  was  a  reality  in 
Christianity:  they  feared  not  man,  who  was  able  to  kill  • 
the  body,  but  God,  who,  after  death,  could  destroy",  both 
body  and  soul  in  hell.  Of  the  names  you  mentioned, 
some  were  men  of  remarkably  independent  mind;  of  a 
cast  of  character,  that  scorned  subjection  to  the  dictates 
of  any  man,  or  set  of  men;  who  injured  their  own  inter¬ 
ests  in  life,  in  consequence  of  their  freedom  in  speaking 
and  acting.  Is  it  probable,  that  such  men,  would  have 
suffered  their  minds  to  be  blinded,  in  that,  with  which 
they  were  most  conversant  ?  You  just  mentioned  Leslie, 


45  What  questions  does  he  ask,  as  to  persons,  having  examined  the  evi¬ 
dences  of  Christianity,  and  then  having  rejected  it  1—46  To  what  other 
set  of  advocates  for  Christianity  does  Mr,  B.  advert  1 — 47  What  ques¬ 
tions  does  he  propose  in  respect  to  them  1 — 48  What  does  he  say  of  Lu¬ 
ther,  and  of  Ridley,  and  Latimer  1 — 19  What  is  said  of  the  independence 
of  some  of  these  men  l 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


45 


as  one  of  the  most  eminent  of  the  clerical  defenders  of 
Christianity.  You,  perhaps,  were  not  aware,  that,  prior 
to  the  abdication  of  James  II.,  he  had  made  himself  ob¬ 
noxious  to  that  monarch,  from  his  steady  opposition  to 
the  Papists,  and  afterwards  became  equally  so  to  his 
successors,  from  his  conscientious  adherence  to  the  ex¬ 
iled  king;  and,  in  consequence,  was  reduced  to  great 
distress,  towards  the  conclusion  of  his  life.  Would  you 
not  think  him,  then,  worthy  of  belief,  when  you  find  him 
writing  thus,  with  what  he  believed  would  be  “the  last 
effort  of  his  pen?” 

“  If,  in  writing  so  much,  and  on  so  many  subjects, 
mistakes  have  crept  in,  I  hope  they  are  not  of  im¬ 
portance;  and,  such  as  they  are,  could  I  examine  and 
discover,  I  should  readily  retract  them,  and  disown  noth¬ 
ing  but  artifice  and  malice,  from  which  my  own  con¬ 
science  acquits  me,  and  God,  I  hope,  who  is  greater, 
will  not  condemn  me.  I  have  always  thought  it  my  duty 
to  follow  truth  as  closely  as  I  could,  without  straying 
after  worldly  interest;  and,  though  the  providence  of 
God,  infinitely  wise  and  righteous,  hath,  for  a  great  part 
of  my  life,  excluded  me  from  the  public  exercise  of  that 
sacred  office,  to  which  I  was  called,  yet  I  have  the  com¬ 
fort  of  having  endeavoured,  in  some  degree,  to  serve, 
against  its  various  adversaries,  the  cause  of  God,  of  re¬ 
ligion,  and  of  that  church,  in  which  I  was  baptized,  edu¬ 
cated,  and  received  into  holy  orders. — And,  being  now 
in  a  point  of  time,  to  which  eternity  is  near,  you  will  be¬ 
lieve  me,  if  I  declare  (and  to  the  world  I  would  declare 
it),  that,  in  this  communion,  I  resolve  to  die,  and  expect 
to  be  saved,  by  the  merits  and  mediation  of  Christ  Je¬ 
sus.” — Leslie’s  Theol.  Works,  folio,  Pref.  Ep. 

Edxvard.  Still,  allowance  must  be  made,  for  habits  of 
thinking  too  favourable  to  the  side  they  espoused — pro¬ 
fessional  predilections. 

Mr.  B.  A  little  more  close  examination  will  show  you, 
that  even  the  very  habits  of  life,  of  several  of  the  most 


50  What  is  related  of  Leslie  1 — 51  What  question  is  asked  of  him  '?— 
52  What  is  the  substance  of  the  quotation  from  his  writings  1 — 53  For 
what  does  Edward  think,  that  allowance  is  still  to  be  made! 


46 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


eminent  of  these  men,  were  unfavourable  to  your  argu¬ 
ment.  What  tendency  had  the  mathematical  pursuits 
of  Watson  and  Paley,  to  soften  the  severity  of  their 
judgment,  with  regard  to  Christianity?  What  tendency 
was  there  in  the  pursuits  of  Clarke  and  Butler,  to  this 
end?  Was  “  slashing  Bentley,”  think  you,  a  man  like¬ 
ly  to  be  deceived,  in  his  critical  investigations,  or  cowed 
into  silence,  as  to  their  results? 

Edward.  But,  their  reputation,  and  literary  character, 
might  become  involved  in  the  defence. 

Mr.  B.  How,  then,  came  their  reputation  to  be  so  in¬ 
volved?  Was  any  necessity  laid  upon  them,  to  connect  ' 
it  with  a  weak  argument?  Were  they  likely  men  to  do 
so?  Had  they  felt  the  weakness  of  the  cause,  would 
they  have  dared  to  court  a  full  investigation  of  it?  Had 
Bentley  and  Warburton  no  enemies?  Were  there  none 
living,  who  would  have  rejoiced  to  triumph  over  them? 
Why  did  they  trouble  themselves  about  the  controversy, 
unless  they  believed  it  to  be  so  important,  that,  at  all 
events,  investigation  ought  to  take  place,  and  the  truth 
made  manifest — unless  they,  also,  regarded  their  own 
side  so  safe,  that  they  feared  no  consequences — and, 
their  own  conviction  of  the  truth  of  Christianity,  was  so 
strong,  that  they  were  willing  to  risk  their  own  credit 
upon  it? 

Edivard.  That  their  own  reputation  was  dear  to  them, 
cannot  be  questioned;  and,  it  is  no  harsh  inference,  to 
conclude,  that  they  would  not  lightly  risk  it  for  a  doubt¬ 
ful  cause;  but,  some  allowance  must  be  made,  for  ex¬ 
pectations  of  preferment,  in  case  of  success. 

Mr.  B.  To  establish  that,  you  must  first  show,  that 
they  were  so  keenly  on  the  watch  for  preferment,  and, 
that  there  was  a  hope  of  it,  arising  from  the  line  of  con¬ 
duct,  which  they  pursued,  sufficient  to  have  induced 
them  to  pursue  it,  which  I  am  persuaded  you  are  unable 


54  What  questions  does  Mr.  B.  ask,  of  Watson  and  Paley — of  Clarke 
and  Butler — and  of  Bentley  t — 55  How  does  he  reply  to  the  intimation  of 
Edward,  that  their  reputation  was  involved  in  the  defence  t — 56  What 
individuals  are  named,  as  illustrative  of  his  reply  1 — 57  What  expecta¬ 
tions,  does  Edward  think,  might  have- influenced  them  1 — 58  To  establish 
that,  what  does  Mr.  B.  say  he  must  do  1 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY.  41 

to  do.  But,  even  were  this  the  case,  would  it  follow, 
that  there  tyere  no  other,  no  shorter  roads,  to  preferment 
— -or,  that  none,  but  this,  was  adapted  to  the  temper  of 
their  minds?  If  they  felt  the  cause  weak,  could  they 
imagine,  that  those  above  them,  (who  must  have  known 
it,  also),  would  thank  them  for  forcing  it  into  notice — 
or,  that  they  should  serve  their  own  interests,  more  ef¬ 
fectually,  by  turning  aside  from  those  paths  of  science, 
and  general  literature,  for  which  nature  appeared  to  have 
intended  them,  and  in  which  they  were  fully  conscious 
of  their  own  power?  Again,  have  you  a  right  to  assume 
such  a  want  of  upright  principle,  in  so  numerous  a  body 
as  the  defenders  of  Christianity  have  now  become?  Can 
you,  for  a  moment,  imagine,  that  such  an  uncertain  hope 
would  prevail  against  reason  and  principle;  that,  men  of 
talents,  of  learning,  and  of  acknowledged  integrity,  in 
other  points,  would  suffer  their  minds  to  be  so  biased, 
by  an  uncertain  hope  of  this  kind;  that,  they  would  run 
the  risk  of  exposure,  nay,  even  court  it,  when  the  other 
means  of  rising  into  distinction,  were  before  them?  Com¬ 
mon  sense  tells  us,  that  such  men,  would  not  so  act; 
that  no  wise,  or  able  man,  would  risk  his  character,  un¬ 
necessarily,  for  that,  which  he  barely  believed.  We 
must,  therefore,  conclude,  that  the  labours  of  such  men, 
would  not  have  been  undertaken,  without  a  full  and 
overpowering  conviction,  of  the  truth  of  Christianity, 
and  did  not  arise  from  a  belief  so  feeble,  as  to  require 
the  aid  of  church  emoluments  to  strengthen  it. — This 
subject  has  occupied  a  considerable  portion  of  our  time; 
but,  as  I  wish  you  to  examine  the  original  works,  rather 
than  to  rely  on  the  arguments  I  may  select  from  them, 
it  is  of  great  importance,  that  you  do  not  suffer  the  con¬ 
viction,  which  I  am  confident  those  works  will  produce, 
to  be  weakened  by  unfounded  assertions,  as  to  interest, 
and  prejudice,  in  the  authors;  assertions,  easily  made; 
but  forming  a  miserable  reply  to  the  works  in  question. 


69  What  question  is  asked,  respecting  them,  on  the  presumption,  that 
they  considered  their  cause  weak  1 — 60  What  one  is  asked  by  Mr.  B., 
relating  to  their  integrity  1 — 61  What  reply  is  given  to  it! — 62  What 
does  he  desire  Edward  to  do,  for  his  own  conviction  on  the  subject  1 


48 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


Edward.  Is  it  not,  however,  to  be  regretted,  that,  in 
controversies  on  this  subject,  the  defenders  of  Christian¬ 
ity  had  one  very  material  advantage  over  their  opponents, 
in  that  it  was  their  principal  study? 

Mr.  B.  But,  is  this  advantage  unfair?  Can  it,  or  ought 
it,  to  be  objected  to?  With  whom  does  the  fault  rest,  if 
the  parties  are  unequally  matched  in  point  of  intellectual 
strength  and  acquirements?  Whence  are  the  defenders 
of  Christianity  to  arise,  if  not  from  those,  who  give  up 
their  lives  to  its  service  ?  What  would  be  the  result,  if 
the  professors  of  arts  and  sciences,  in  general,  were  sus¬ 
pected  in  their  statements,  merely  because  they  were 
professors?  Am  I  to  reject  the  experiments  of  Newton, 
and  refuse  to  look  at  his  Principia,  because  he  was  Lu¬ 
casian  Professor  of  Mathematics  at  Cambridge?  Am  I 
to  question  the  accuracy  of  Porson,  because  he  was 
Greek  Professor?  I  cannot  pretend  to  make  the  experi¬ 
ments  in  the  one  case,  or  to  consult  the  manuscripts  in 
the  other;  and  I  might  be  told,  that  each  of  these  great 
men  was  interested  and  prejudiced;  yet,  who  would  not 
laugh  at  me,  were  I,  therefore,  to  resolve,  I  would  pay 
no  regard  to  either?  We  cannot  believe,  that  the  love 
of  emolument,  prejudice,  or  vanity,  could  so  bias  such 
men  as  to  induce  them  to  make  false  assertions  of  facts, 
in  which  they  were  liable  to  detection  by  all  who  enviqd 
their  talents,  coveted  their  situations,  or  disliked  their 
peculiar  views.  Why,  then,  should  I  doubt  the  accura¬ 
cy  of  the  critics  of  the  New  Testament,  or  turn  a  deaf 
ear  to  the  argumentation  of  Butler  and  Paley? 

Edward.  But,  had  the  enemies  of  Christianity  been  as 
well  versed  in  these  subjects,  as  its  clerical  advocates, 
the  result  might  have  been  very  different. 

Mr.  B.  This  is  mere  assumption;  and  I  have  equal 
right  to  assume,  in  reply,  what  appears  to  me  a  much 
fairer  conclusion;  that,  had  the  enemies  of  Christianity 
read  and  thought  more,  they  would  have  written  less. 


63  What  advantage  does  Edward  say  the  defenders  of  Christianity  had 
over  tlreir  opponents  1 — 64  How  does  Mr.  R.  reply  to  it  1 — 65  What  is 
the  allusion  to  Newton  and  Porson1? — 66  What  cannot  we  believe,  re¬ 
specting  them  1 — 67  Under  what  circumstances  does  E'dwtrd  say,  that, 
the  result  might  have  been  different  1 — 68  Is  this  probable  I 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  49 

In  some  cases,  we  know,  that  increased  knowledge  of 
the  subject,  has  produced  a  very  different  result;  it  has 
not  only  silenced,  it  has  converted,  the  enemies,  into  the 
friends  of  Christianity. 

Edivard.  Do  you,  then,  think,  the  works  of  its  advo¬ 
cates  are  to  be  received  in  the  same  manner,  as  if  they 
had  been  the  productions  of  persons  to  whom  the  result 
were  a  matter  of  indifference? 

Mr.  B.  I  think,  considerable  allowance  is  always  to  be 
made  for  prejudice,  as  arising  from  the  circumstances  of 
birth,  education,  disposition,  and  habits  of  life ;  in  the  case 
of  the  clergy,  also,  from  attachment  to  their  profession; 
and,  in  some  cases,  for  a  predilection  to  certain  courses 
of  study,  in  preference  to  others,  and  to  peculiar  lines  of 
argument,  which  they  have,  themselves,  invented,  or 
greatly  improved.  But,  I  think,  they  ought  to  be  fully 
acquitted  from  the  sweeping  charge,  of  acting  from  those 
interested  motives,  which  their  enemies  delight  to  impute 
to  them;  and,  am  fully  persuaded,  that  nothing,  but  strong 
conviction,  would  have  produced  the  greater  part  of  the 
many  very  able  treatises,  which  have  been  written  in  de¬ 
fence  of  Christianity.  To  their  works,  therefore,  I  would 
give  all  the  attention,  which  the  character  of  the  authors 
as  well  as  the  importance  of  the  subject,  demands ;  remem¬ 
bering,  however,  that,  as  men,  they  were  liable  to  be  mis¬ 
taken — as  the  abettors  of  a  system,  still  more  so.  Their 
statements  of  facts,  in  cases  where  I  was  unable  to  verify 
them,  by  an  appeal  to  the  original  sources  of  information, 

I  should  be  disposed  to  admit;  their  reasonings,  on  those 
statements,  I  should  wish  to  examine  as  strictly  as  pos¬ 
sible  ;  and,  mere  declamation,  I  should  reject  altogether. 

Maria.  With  this,  I  shall  be  quite  satisfied. 

Edward.  And  I,  also. 

Mr.  B.  Perhaps  you  may;  but,  I  am  not:  for  we  have; 
hitherto,  considered  prejudice,  and  interest,  as  directed 


69  What  changes  lias  an  increased  knowledge  been  known  to  produce  ? 
70  For  what,  does  Mr.  B.  admit,  an  allowance  is  to  be  made,  in  consid¬ 
ering  this  subject  1 — 71  But,  of  what  should  the  advocates  of  Christianity 
be  acquitted  ? — 72  How,  under  this  view  of  the  subject,  is  Mr.  B.  dispos¬ 
ed  to  proceed  in  the  investigation  ! — 73  What  does  lie  presume  in  this 
respect,  of  the  enemies  of  Christianity  1 


50 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


only  in  favour  of  Christianity;  but,  some  of  its  most  dis¬ 
tinguished  opponents  have  been,  most  unquestionably, 
both  interested,  ahd  prejudiced,  against  it.  What  was 
the  moral  character  of  the  French  philosophists,  who  at¬ 
tacked  it?  What  sort  of  men,  have  the  English  Deists, 
in  general,  been?  If  you  would  take  a  just  view  of  the 
subject,  you  must  bear  this  in  mind  also;  and,  consider 
how  far  its  opponents  have  had  knowledge  of  the  religion 
in  question;  from  what  sources  they  derived  it;  how  they 
were  situated;  what  had  been  their  habits  of  life ;  how  far 
they  were  competent  judges — considerations,  which  will 
make  no  sceptic  eager  for  an  inquiry  into  the  degree,  in 
which  interest,  and  prejudice,  have  affected  the  question. 
The  language  of  this  religion  is,  “  If  any  man  will  do  the 
will  of  God,  he  shall  know  of  the  doctrine,  whether  it  be 
of  God,  or  of  man” — a  position,  as  reasonable  as  it  is 
pious;  but,  among  all  the  sceptics,  where  have  we  seen, 
that  reverent  anxiety  to  ascertain  the  will  of  God,  and  to 
do  it?  You  have,  also,  particularly  directed  your  argu¬ 
ments  against  the  clergy  of  the  Church  of  England,  as 
interested  and  prejudiced  advocates:  you  must,  however, 
remember,  that  it  is  not  they,  alone,  who  are  the  defen¬ 
ders  of  Christianity:  those,  of  every  other  church,  do  the 
same,  in  whatever  circumstances  they  may  be;  and  you 
must  allow,  that  this  agreement,  in  those,  who,  in  other 
respects,  differ  widely,  gives  a  strong  presumption  in  fa¬ 
vour  of  Christianity.  From  the  length  of  time  this  sub¬ 
ject  has  detained  us,  I  shall  not  press  this  upon  you,  but 
only  remind  you  of  two  other  particulars,  not  lightly  to 
be  passed  over  by  you. 

Edward.  What  are  they? 

Mr.  B.  That,  whatever  deductions  you  now  make,  on 
the  score  of  interest,  and  prejudice,  only  increases,  ten¬ 
fold,  the  force  of  an  argument,  hereafter  to  be  urged,  on 
behalf  of  Christianity — the  testimony  of  those,  who,  in 


74  What  is  here  intimated,  of  the  French  philosophers,  and  English 
Deists'! — 75  Against  whom,  in  particular,  are  objections  made,  in  this 
conversation,  as  advocates  of  Christianity  1 — 76  What  does  Mr.  B.  say, 
furnishes  a  strong  presumption  in  its  favour  t — 77  What  is  the  first  of  the 
two  particulars,  of  which  Edward  is  reminded,  in  the  conclusion  of  this 
conversation  1 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  51 

privation  and  suffering,  maintained  the  truth  of  the  Chris¬ 
tian  religion. 

;  Edward.  And  the  second? 

Mr.  B.  That  the  defence  of  Christianity  has,  by  no 
means,  been  exclusively  in  the  hands  of  its  ministers; 
for,  there  have  existed  a  considerable  number  of  laymen, 
to  whom  the  greater  part  of  your  objections  are  wholly 
inapplicable,  who  have,  directly,  or  indirectly,  maintain¬ 
ed  its  truth,  and  those  men  of  the  very  highest  order, 
neither  the  superficial  nor  the  vain,  neither  bigots,  nor 
enthusiasts,  nor  fanatics.  I  leave  you  to  consider  the 
names  of  Selden,  Hale,  Bacon,  Milton,  Boyle,  Newton, 
Locke,  Addison,  Lyttelton,  West,  Johnson,  Beattie,  and 
Sir  W.  Jones;  and,  these  are  merely  taken  from  those, 
who  have  flourished  in  England,  and  during  the  last  two 
centuries. 


CONVERSATION  IV. 

Maria.  We  hope  you  are  now  at  liberty,  my  dear 
father,  to  enter  upon  such  a  developement  of  the  evi¬ 
dences  of  Christianity,  as  may  be  best  adapted  to  our 
use. 

Mr.  B.  I  begin,  then,  by  first  stating,  what  it  is  my 
intention  to  establish,  and,  what  I  require  to  be  granted 
me,  in  order  to  enable  me  to  do  so.  My  object  is,  mere¬ 
ly  to  exhibit  a  plain  view  of  some  of  those  facts,  and  ar¬ 
guments,  which  have  most  powerfully  influenced  my  own 
mind,  and  which,  it  appears  to  me,  ought  equally  to  in¬ 
fluence  yours.  I  shall  not  pretend  to  give  you  all  the 
facts,  which  have  been  thought  to  elucidate  the  subject, 


78  What  is  the  second  one  1 — 79  Who  are  the  individuals,  recommend¬ 
ed  to  his  attention  ? 

1  How  does  Mr.  B.  propose  beginning  his  investigation  of  the  evidence 
of  Christianity  1 — 2  Are  all  the  facts  and  arguments,  capable  of  being 
adduced  here,  to  be  used  t 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


52 

and  which  have  already  been  collected  for  that  purpose; 
still  less,  is  it  my  intention,  to  attempt  the  collecting  all 
the  arguments,  which  would  be  almost  an  endless  task; 
but,  I  shall  not  keep  back  a  single  objection,  nor  sup¬ 
press  a  single  circumstance,  which,  it  appears  to  me, 
ought  to  deserve  consideration.  But,  even  with  these 
limitations,  it  will  be  necessary,  that  we  restrict  our  in¬ 
quiries  to  the  simple  question,  as  to  the  truth  of  the 
Christian  religion,  without  entering  into  those  of  natural 
religion,  or  of  the  consequences,  which  must  follow,  as 
to  doctrines,  if  Christianity  be  true. 

Edward.  You  assume,  then,  the  existence  of  God,  and 
the  immortality  of  the  soul? 

Mr.  B.  The  general  belief,  in  these  points,  authorizes 
me  so  to  do.  The  first,  must  be  true,  and  the  second,  at 
least,  sufficiently  probable  for  my  argument;  and,  as  I 
know  you  have,  both  of  you,  read  Paley’s  “Natural 
Theology,”  and  “Tremaine,”  I  shall  refer  you  to  those 
works,  as  sufficiently  establishing  them,  and  other  pre¬ 
liminary  points,  which  are  necessary.  The  latter,  is,  at 
once,  interesting  and  instructive:  the  former,  above  all 
praise. 

Maria.  You  will  begin,  then,  with  the  quotation  given 
in  Tremaine,  from  Paley?  I 

Mr.  B.  I  shall,  but  do  not  bring  it  forward  at  present. 
I  begin,  with  the  mere  matter  of  fact,  that  Christianity 
exists.  For  this  fact,  there  must  have  been  some  cause,. 
and,  that  cause,  is  what  it  is  necessary  to  ascertain. 

Edivard.  But,  though  Christianity  exists,  who  shall 
say,  what  is  Christianity.  The  Christian  world  is  split 
into  ten  thousand  sects,  which  only  agree  in  maintain¬ 
ing,  that  the  religion  itself  is  true. 

Mr.  B.  But,  if  I  say,  that  Christianity  is  the  religion 
founded  by  Jesus  Christ,  about  1800  years  ago,  in  Ju¬ 
dea,  upon  the  basis  of  Judaism,  and  that,  by  its  excel- 


S  How  are  the  inquiries,  on  the  subject,  to  be  still  further  restricted'? 
4  What  two  points  are  here  assumed  n — 5  What  does  Mr.  B.  say,  of 
these  two  points  1 — 6  On  what  account  does  Edward  suppose,  it  is  diffi¬ 
cult  to  tell  what  Christianity  is  1 — 7  In  what  particulars,  does  Mr.  B» 
suppose,  that  all  the  different  sects  of  Christians  would  agree  7 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


53 


lence,  it  prevailed  over  all  other  religions,  to  the  extent 
now  manifest, — would  not  all  these  sects  agree  with  me? 

Edward.  Certainly;  but,  I  believe  it  is  doubted,  by 
some,  whether  such  a  person  ever  existed;  and  your 
statement  cannot,  therefore,  be  admitted  as  true,  in  it¬ 
self,  without  proof. 

Mr.  B.  And  what  proof  do  you  require? 

Edivard.  The  same,  which  would  be  necessary  to  es¬ 
tablish  any  historical  fact. 

Mr.  B.  Is  not  the  agreement  of  the  Christian  world 
upon  it,  sufficient  to  establish  it? 

Edward.  Their  agreement,  only  proves  their  belief, 
and,  that  belief,  only  leads  us  to  infer  the  probability, 
that  it  is  founded  upon  some  adequate  cause.  I  should 
prefer  the  belief  and  testimony  of  enemies. 

Mr.  B.  And,  that  you  have;  for,  but  very  few  persons 
have  been  hardy  enough  to  deny  the  fact. 

Maria.  What  account  do  they  give,  then,  of  the  mat¬ 
ter? 

Mr.  B.  Their  assertion  is,  that  no  such  person,  as  the 
reputed  Founder  of  this  religion,  ever  existed;  that,  in 
short,  it  was  merely  a  symbolical  representation  of  the 
sun,  which  gave  rise  to  the  generally  received  accounts, 
and,  that  the  leading  events  of  his  life,  are  to  be  taken 
allegorically,  as  referring  to  the  heavenly  bodies? 

Maria.  And,  is  there  any  trace  of  this  conjecture  to 
be  found,  in  history? 

Mr.  B.  Not  the  least;  and,  from  the  works  alone,  of 
the  enemies  of  Christianity,  we  may  prove  the  truth  of 
the  Christian  statement. 

Edward.  I  should  very  much  wish  that  to  be  done. 

Mr.  B.  You  shall  have  your  wish.  I  would,  howev¬ 
er,  observe,  first,  that  there  are  three  considerations,  of 
very  great  importance,  in  this  inquiry,  relative  to  the 
Christian  statement;  for,  in  the  first  place,  we  possess  a 


8  What  kind  of  proof  does  Edward  require  in  the  case  1 — 9  What  re¬ 
ply  does  Mr.  B.  make  to  this1? — 10  What  aceount  do  the  enemies  of 
Christianity  give  of  the  narratives  in  the  gospel  1 — 11  Maria  asks,  if  this 
is  corroborated  in  history — what  answer  does  Mr.  B.  give  her  1 — 12  Mr. 
B  says,  there  are  three  important  considerations  in  this  inquiry — which, 
is  the  first  1 

5* 


54 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


series  of  Christian  records,  the  genuineness  of  which, 
is  unquestionable,  up  to  the  very  time,  when  this  relig¬ 
ion  first  appeared,  in  which  the  same  statement,  now 
made,  by  the  Christians  of  our  time,  is  affirmed.  Again; 
there  has  been  no  interval,  in  which  documents  of  this 
kind  did  not  exist;  and,  therefore,  we  trace  up  the  as¬ 
sertion  of  the  fact,  by  the  Christians  of  every  age,  even 
to  the  very  century,  in  which  the  religion  is  said  to  have 
been  first  promulgated;  and,  lastly,  as  the  period  assign¬ 
ed  for  the  origin  of  this  religion,  is  one,  upon  which,  per¬ 
haps,  more  light  has  been  thrown,  than  on  any  other  of 
those,  greatly  removed  from  our  own,  no  such  suspicion 
rests  upon  the  truth  of  these  statements,  as  might  have 
arisen,  had  the  period  assigned  been  indefinitely  remov¬ 
ed,  or  involved  in  great  obscurity. 

Maria.  These  circumstances  are  so  strongly  in  favour 
of  the  Christian  statements,  that,  unless  counter  declara¬ 
tions  can  be  produced,  by  the  enemies  of  Christianity, 
their  testimony  must  be  received. 

Mr.  B.  Let  us,  then,  turn  to  the  accounts  of  the  four 
great  classes  of  those,  who  have  rejected  Christianity; 
the  Deists,  of  the  last  three  centuries,  the  followers  of 
Mohammed,  the  Jews,  and  the  Pagans.  With  regard  to 
the  first  of  these,  their  information,  on  the  subject,  must 
be  derived  from  sources  equally  open  to  us;  and,  there¬ 
fore,  their  opinion,  when  unsupported  by  authorities  of 
earlier  time,  is  only  of  value  as  their  opinion,  and,  con¬ 
sequently,  if  unfavourable  to  the  Christian  statement, 
could  not  weigh  against  the  positive  testimony,  given  by 
the  writers  of  preceding  ages,  that  such  was  the  belief 
in  their  time.  But,  though  their  opinion,  if  adverse, 
would  not  materially  affect  the  Christian  statement,  their 
opinion,  if  in  agreement  with  it,  must  have  weight,  be¬ 
cause  we  may  reasonably  conclude,  from  their  rejection 
of  Christianity,  they  would  not  have  received  the  Chris¬ 
tian  statements  as  true,  had  they  not  appeared  to  them 


13  Which  is  the  second  X — 14  Which  is  the  last  t — 15  What  does  Ma¬ 
ria  say  to  them  t — 16  What  are  the  four  great  classes,  that  reject  Christi¬ 
anity  1 — 17  What  is  said  of  the  sources  of  information*  in  possession  of 
Deists,  on  this  subject  1 — 18  What  is  said  of  their  opinions  on  it  X 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


53 


to  have  the  force  of  truth.  Turning,  then,  to  the  works 
of  the  Deistical  writers,  we  find,  that  the  modern  opin¬ 
ion,  by  some,  adduced  against  the  fact  of  the  existence 
of  Christ,  has  not  obtained,  generally,  among  them;  in 
fact,  very  few,  indeed,  have  entertained  it;  and,  conse¬ 
quently,  from  the  conduct  of  the  Deists  themselves,  we 
may  reasonably  conclude,  there  is  no  solid  foundation 
for  it. 

Edward.  It  is  only  surprising,  that  the  objection  should 
have  ever  been  brought  forward  at  all. 

Mr.  B.  Proceeding  to  the  next  class  of  antagonists, 
we  find,  the  followers  of  Mohammed  refer  to  the  great 
work  of  the  founder  of  their  religion,  as  the  supreme  au¬ 
thority  on  this  subject.  By  him,  however,  the  existence 
of  Jesus  Christ  is  not  only  acknowledged,  but  assumed, 
as  an  essential  part  of  the  foundation,  on  which  his  own 
claims  are  established.  The  country,  the  life,  and  re¬ 
puted  death,  of  the  Founder  of  Christianity,  must,  there¬ 
fore,  at  that  time,  have  been  well  known  to  be  the  same, 
as  at  present  believed. 

Maria.  This,  also,  carries  us  up  to  the  beginning  of 
the  seventh  century,  and  establishes  the  belief  of  the 
Christian  statement,  at  that  period,  in  the  very  coun¬ 
tries,  where  our  Lord  is  said  to  have  lived. 

Mr.  B.  The  testimony  of  the  next  body  of  adversa¬ 
ries,  is  important,  as  being  that  of  the  descendants  of 
those,  who  had  once  possessed  that  country,  and  “  of 
whom,  as  touching  the  flesh,  Christ  came,”  and,  in  sub¬ 
stance,  it  agrees  with  the  statement  of  the  Christians; 
for,  they  allow,  that  Christ  was  the  founder  of  the  relig¬ 
ion,  which  bears  his  name;  and,  that  he  was  put  to  death, 
by  their  ancestors,  before  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem. 
Now,  this  last  event  is  well  known  to  have  taken  place 
in  the  year  70,  and,  therefore,  it  becomes  certain,  that 
the  origin  of  Christianity,  could  not  have  occurred  later, 
than  a  few  years  of  the  period  assigned  by  its  advocates. 


19  And  of  the  opinion,  in  particular,  of  some  modern  Deists,  that  write 
against  the  fact  of  Christ’s  existence  1 — 20  What  is  said  of  the  followers 
of  Mohammed,  in  relation  to  the  existence  of  Jesus  Christ'! — 21  How 
does  Maria  reply  to  this  fact'? — 22  What  is  said  of  the  testimony  of  the 
third  body  of  adversaries  to  Christianity,  the  Jews'! — 23  When  was  Je¬ 
rusalem  destroyed  1 


56 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


Maria.  Do  the  Jews  assign  no  particular  period  for 
the  appearance  of  Jesus? 

Mr.  B.  They  do;  but,  as  they  differ  among  themselves, 
and  are  proved,  by  the  testimony  of  all  other  nations,  to 
be  most  careless,  as  to  their  chronological  statements, 
we  can  place  no  dependence  on  the  date  assigned  by  the 
majority,  which  is  considerably  earlier,  than  that,  given 
by  the  Christians,  and  is  positively  contradicted,  by  the 
testimony  of  another  body  of  adversaries,  on  which  great¬ 
er  reliance  can  be  placed. 

Edward.  From  what  particular  authors,  do  you  obtain 
this  information? 

Mr.  B.  From  authority,  which  the  Jews  hold  in  the 
highest  estimation,  that  of  the  Talmud,  the  date  of  which, 
may  be  referred  to  the  year  500,  and  which,  from  the 
bitterness  of  its  language,  against  the  Founder  of  Chris¬ 
tianity,  shows,  the  compilers  of  it  did  not  possess  the 
power  to  deny  the  facts  above  mentioned ;  whilst  it  leads 
us  to  suspect  the  truth  of  the  imputations  they  cast  upon 
him,  and  which  you  may  see  in  Lardner. 

Edward.  Then,  do  you  think  it  just,  to  receive  their 
declarations  in  the  one  case,  and  not  in  the  other? 

•  Mr.  B.  There  is  a  probability,  in  favour  of  the  former, 
which  there  is  not,  as  to  the  latter.  On  referring  to  the 
passages  in  question,  you  will  find,  that  the  anecdotes 
bear  such  internal  marks  of  falsity,  that,  had  they  appear¬ 
ed  at  an  earlier  period,  they  could  hardly  have  been  cred¬ 
ited  by  any  one;  but,  we  have  a  further  confutation  of 
them,  in  the  fact,  that,  previous  assailants  of  Christiani¬ 
ty,  as  devoted  to  their  own  faith  as  the  compilers  of  the 
Talmud,  and  much  more  acute,  have  not  left  the  slight¬ 
est  trace  of  their  knowledge  of  any  such  transactions, 
which  they  hardly  could  have  failed  to  mention,  if  true. 

Edward.  But,  what  authority  have  these  previous  au¬ 
thors,  with  the  Jews? 

Mr.  B.  The  Mishna,  which  was  compiled  by  Rabbi 


24  What  is  said  of  the  account  of  the  Jews,  on  the  time  of  our  Sa¬ 
viour’s  appearance  1 — 25  What  is  said  of  the  Talmud,  as  relating  to  the 
argument  1 — 26  What  question  does  Edward  ask,  respecting  the  testimo¬ 
ny  furnished  in  the  Talmud  1 — 27  What  is  the  reply  of  Mr.  B.  to  him,  on 
this  point  1 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  51 

Jehudah  Hakkadosh,  about  the  year  180,  holds  the  high¬ 
est  place,  and  contains  no  proof  against  Christianity, 
drawn  from  false  statements,  on  the  part  of  its  friends, 
and  casts  no  imputation  of  immorality  on  its  Founder. 
It  only  laments  the  decline  of  religion,  intimates  its  fears, 
from  the  prevalence  of  the  new  faith,  and  confirms  the 
fact  of  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  having  taken  place, 
at  the  time  usually  assigned. 

Maria.  We  have,  then,  the  testimony  of  the  Jews,  as 
well  as  of  the  Mohammedans,  to  the  truth  of  the  Chris¬ 
tian  statement. 

Mr.  B.  There  yet  remains,  the  testimony  of  the  advo¬ 
cates  of  that  religion,  which  was  overthrown  by  Christi¬ 
anity;  they,  therefore,  cannot  b^  less  likely  to  state  the 
truth,  than  either  of  those  already  considered.  Here, 
indeed,  we  have  no  work,  acknowledged  by  them,  as  of 
supreme  authority,  as  in  the  two  last  cases;  and,  we 
must,  therefore,  trace  the  vestiges  of  Christianity,  step 
by  step,  from  the  time  of  the  last  Pagans,  to  the  time, 
when  it  first  made  its  appearance. 

Edward.  Those,  however,  who  lived  subsequently  to 
the  establishment  of  Christianity,  as  the  religion  of  the 
state,  can  hardly  be  of  so  much  importance,  as  those  who 
preceded  them. 

Mr.  B.  The  state  of  the  Pagans,  under  the  Christian 
emperors,  though  certainly  very  unfavourable  to  them, 
was  not,  however,  of  such  a  nature,  as  to  preclude  their 
giving  us  considerable  information,  as  to  their  opinion  of 
Christianity,  and  the  state  in  which  it  had  existed,  pre¬ 
viously  to  its  establishment.  The  very  manner,  in  which 
they  write,  respecting  it,  proves,  as  well,  that  they  were 
under  no  constraint,  as  to  this  expression  of  their  opin¬ 
ions,  as,  that  they  were  not  biased,  in  favour  of  the  re¬ 
ligion  of  the  court. 

Maria.  But,  if  they  were  men  of  character,  surely, 


28  What  is  said  of  the  testimony  contained  in  the  Mishna1? — 29  What 
other  testimony  remains  to  be  considered  ? — 30  In  examining  the  testi¬ 
mony  of  Pagans,  in  favour  of  Christianity,  how  does  Mr.  B.  propose  to 
proceed  1 — 31  What  is  remarked  of  the  Pagans,  under  the  Christian  em¬ 
perors  1 — 32  What  does  Maria  suggest,  concerning  their  rejection  of 
Christianity  1 


58 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


their  rejection  of  Christianity,  under  such  circumstances-, 
ought  to  have  great  weight,  since  they  lived  near  the 
times,  in  which  truth  could  best  be  discovered;  and,  in¬ 
terest  must  have  prompted  many,  to  embrace  the  new 
religion. 

Mr.  B.  It  is  not  without  weight;  but,  this  is  not  the 
place  to  consider  it:  we  must  pursue  the  more  immediate 
object  before  us,  viz.  the  obtaining  certain  knowledge, 
as  to  the  state  of  Christianity,  in  their  .times,  and  those 
which  preceded  them. 

Edward.  It  may,  however,  be  conceived,  they  would 
not  speak  fully  their  opinion,  as  to  their  own  times. 

Mr.  B.  Let  us  refer  to  facts*.  In  the  fifth  century, 
Proclus  published  eighteen  arguments,  against  the  Chris¬ 
tian  religion,  or,  rather,  Against  one  tenet  of  it,  that  the 
world  had  not  existed,  from  eternity.  The  works  of  Zos- 
imus,  manifest  the  most  bitter  hatred  of  Christianity,  un¬ 
disguised  and  unsoftened;  and,  Hierocles  so  far  provoked, 
the  popular  feeling,  as  to  suffer  severely  from  their  indig¬ 
nation.  Rutilius  scruples  not  to  attack  the  monastic  sys¬ 
tem,  at  that  time  becoming  very  popular,  using  no  very 
measured  expressions. 

Maria.  This  would  hardly  have  been  tolerated,  in  some 
countries,  now. 

Mr.  B.  Eunapius,  who  lived  at  the  close  of  the  fourth 
century,  speaks  not  less  freely.  I  give  you  Lardner’s 
translation,  and  refer  you  to  him  for  further  information. 
Speaking  of  Christians,  Eunapius  makes  use  of  the  fol¬ 
lowing  language. 

“Thus,  these  warlike  and  courageous  champions, 
overwhelming  all  things,  with  confusion  and  disorder, 
but  foully  defiled  with  avarice,  gave  out,  that  they  had 
overcome  the  gods,  and  boasted  of  their  sacrilege  and 
impiety.  Then,  they  introduced  into  the  sacred  places, 
a  sort  of  people,  called  monks, — men,  it  is  true,  as  to 


33  What  reply  does  Mr.  B.  make  to  her  1 — 34  What  is  said  of  Proclus  1 
35  What  is  said  of  Zosimus,  Hierocles,  and  Rutilius  1 — 36  Who  else  is 
named,  as  speaking  very  freely,  in  the  fourth  century,  upon  these  matters  1 
37  From  whom,  is  a  long  quotation,  showing  the  freedom,  with  which 
Pagans  expressed  their  opinions  1 — 38  What  are  some  of  the  principal 
accusations  against  Christians,  in  this  quotation  1 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


59 

their  outward  shape,  but,  in  their  lives,  swine,  who  open¬ 
ly  suffered  and  did  ten  thousand  wicked  and  abominable 
things.  Nevertheless,  to  them  it  seemed  to  be  an  act  of 
piety,  to  trample  under  foot  the  reverence  due  to  the  sa¬ 
cred  places:  for,  every  one,  that  wore  a  black  coat,  and 
was  content  to  make  a  sordid  figure  in  public,  had  a  right 
to  exercise  a  tyrannical  authority:  such  a  reputation  for 
virtue,  had  this  sort  of  men  attained.  But,  of  these  things, 
I  have  already  spoken  in  the  Universal  History.  Then, 
monks  were  settled  at  Canobus;  who,  instead  of  deities, 
as  conceived  in  our  minds,  compelled  men  to  worship 
slaves,  and  those,  not  of  the  better  sort,  neither.  For, 
picking  up  and  salting  the  bones  and  skulls  of  those, 
whom,  for  many  crimes,  justice  had  put  to  death,  they 
carried  them  up  and  down,  and  showed  them  for  gods, 
and  kneeled  before  them,  and  lay  prostrate  at  their  tombs, 
covered  over  with  filth  and  dust.  There  were  some  of 
them  (called  martyrs,  and  ministers,  and  intercessors 
with  the  gods),  slaves,  that  had  served  dishonestly,  and 
been  beaten  with  whips,  and  still  bore,  in  their  corpses, 
the  scars  of  their  villanies.  And,  yet,  the  earth  brings 
forth  such  gods  as  these.” — Lardner,  c.  liii 

You  will  not,  I  think,  after  this  specimen,  suspect  the 
Pagan  testimonies  of  any  undue  predilection  in  favour  of 
Christianity,  nor  of  any  reluctance  to  conceal,  what  they 
deemed  its  weaknesses. 

Edward.  It  is  also  evident,  that,  though  the  popular 
feeling  was  turned  against  idolatry,  there  yet  remained 
a  strong  body  of  the  philosophising  Pagans,  who  prefer¬ 
red  it  to  Christianity. 

Maria.  They  also  give  a  very  disgusting  picture  of 
Christianity. 

Mr.  B.  It  is  drawn  by  the  hand  of  an  enemy,  you  must 
recollect.  The  next  testimony  I  shall  cite,  gives  some¬ 
what  a  different  idea:  Ammianus  Marcellinus,  in  one 
place,  speaks  of  the  office  of  a  Christian  bishop,  as  “re¬ 
commending  nothing  but  justice  and  lenity ;  ”  and,  in  anoth- 


39  What  does  Mr.  B.  say,  of  this  specimen  of  Pagan  testimony  1 — 40 
What  does  Edward  say  of  it  1 — 41  What  account  does  Mr.  B.  give  of 
Ammianus  Marcellinus1 


60 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


er,  still  more  expressly  reasons  against  the  luxury  of  the 
metropolitan  prelates. 

“  But,  they  might  be  happy,  indeed,  if,  despising  the 
grandeur  of  the  city,  which  they  allege  as  an  excuse  for 
their  luxury,  they  would  imitate  the  life  of  some  country 
bishops,  who,  by  their  temperance,  in  eating  and  drinking, 
by  the  plainness  of  their  habit,  and  the  modesty  of  their 
whole  behaviour,  approve  themselves  to  the  eternal  De¬ 
ity,  and  his  true  worshippers,  as  men  of  virtue  and  piety.” 
— Lardner,  c.  li. 

Speaking  of  Constantius,  he  gives  this  character  of  the 
religion  itself: — 

“  The  Christian  religion,  which  is,  in  itself,  plain  and 
simple,  he  adulterated,  with  a  childish  superstition:  for, 
studying  it  with  a  vain  curiosity,  instead  of  a  sober  mod¬ 
esty,  he  raised  many  dissentions,  which,  when  caused, 
he  cherished  and  increased  by  a  strife  about  words.” — 
Lardner,  c.  li. 

Maria.  These  extracts  give  a  very  different  impression 
to  the  last;  there  is  a  distinction  evidently  drawn,  between 
Christianity,  and  corruptions  of  it. 

Mr.  B.  The  whole  of  this  author’s  statements,  are  so 
accordant  with  those  of  the  Christians,  that  I  wish  time 
permitted  my  giving  more;  but,  I  must  content  myself, 
with  observing,  that  he  speaks  of  the  Christian  sects  be¬ 
ing  very  bitter  against  each  other,  and  conveys  the  idea 
of  Christianity  being  decidedly  the  religion  of  the  great 
body  of  the  people,  and  yet  he  praises  Valentinian,  be¬ 
cause 

“  He  stood  neuter,  between  all  the  diversities  of  re¬ 
ligion,  and  was  troublesome  to  none;  nor  did  he  require 
any  one  to  follow,  either  this,  or  that.  Nor  did  he  strive, 
by  severe  edicts,  to  bend  the  necks  of  his  subjects  to  his 
own  way  of  worship;  but,  left  matters  untouched,  in  the 
condition  he  found  them.” — Lardner,  c.  li. 

Edward.  There  is,  however,  in  these  extracts,  little 


42  What  is  the  quotation  from  him,  respecting  the  metropolitan  pre¬ 
lates  1—43  What  does  he  say  of  Constantius  1 — 44  What  does  Maria  say, 
of  these  last  quotations  1 — 45  What  does  Mr.  B.  say,  of  this  author’s 
statements  1 — 46  What  is  quoted,  respecting  Valentinian,  from  Lardner  1 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


61 


reference  to  the  state  of  Christianity,  before  the  time  of 
its  establishment. 

Mr.  B.  There  is;  but,  even  silence,  here,  becomes 
important;  for,  had  the  Christian  accounts  been  false,  as 
to  leading  facts,  we  can  hardly  suppose,  they  would  have 
been  passed  over,  by  authors  like  those  we  have  re¬ 
ferred  to.  The  gradual  decline  of  Paganism,  afforded 
ample  time  for  full  investigation;  and,  certainly,  of  all 
persons,  the  philosophers  of  Alexandria,  and  Athens,  had 
the  best  means  of  detecting  falsehood,  had  it  existed; 
and,  we  may,  therefore,  regard  their  silence,  as  strongly 
corroborative  of  the  truth  of  the  Christian  statements,  as 
to  the  origin  and  progress  of  the  religion. 

Maria.  There  does  not  appear,  any  trace  of  Christi¬ 
anity  having  been  promulgated,  by  means  similar  to  those 
employed  by  Mohammed.  Idolatry  was,  indeed,  put 
down;  but,  there  is  no  proof,  that  conversion  was  press¬ 
ed  upon  the  people,  though  the  example  of  the  court  must 
have  had  great  influence. 

Mr.  B.  The  next  authority  to  be  produced,  will  not 
make  this  conduct  of  the  Christians  less  remarkable. 
Libanius,  in  his  funeral  oration  on  the  emperor  Julian, 
has  the  following  memorable  passage,  which  clearly 
shows,  in  what  state  Christianity  had  been,  in  the  earlier 
stages  of  its  progress. 

“  Having  paid  all  honours  due  to  Constantius,  he  be¬ 
gan  with  remedying  matters  relating  to  the  gods,  sacrifi¬ 
cing  in  the  view  of  all,  and  expressing  his  satisfaction  in 
those,  who  followed  him,  and  deriding  those,  who  did  not, 
and  endeavouring  to  persuade  them  to  imitate  him,  but 
without  compulsion.  Indeed,  they,  who  were  in  wrong 
sentiments,  were  filled  with  fear,  and  expected  pulling 
out  of  eyes,  beheadings,  and  rivers  of  blood  flowing  from 
innumerable  slaughters;  and,  that  this  new  lord,  would 
find  out  new  ways  of  torture;  and,  that  fire  and  sword, 


47  What  does  Mr.  B.  say,  of  the  comparative  silence  of  Pagan  writers,, 
respecting  the  history  of  Christianity  t — 48  What  comparison  does  Maria 
here  make,  between  Mohammedism  and  Christianity  t — 49  Who  is  the 
next  Pagan  author  introduced  1 — 50  On  what  occasion,  does  Libanius  fur¬ 
nish  oppoitunity  to  be  quoted  t — 51  What  is  the  substance  of  the  quota, 
tion  from.  Libanius  1 

) 


6 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


62 

and  drowning,  and  burying  alive,  and  amputation  of 
limbs,  would  be  trifling  things.  Such  things  had  been 
practised,  by  those  who  ivent  before;  but,  now,  more  griev¬ 
ous  things  were  expected.  But,  Julian  dissented  from 
those,  who  had  practised  such  things,  as  not  obtaining 
the  end  aimed  at;  and,  he  was  sensible,  that  no  benefit 
was  to  be  expected  from  such  violence.  For,  men,  la¬ 
bouring  under  diseases  of  the  body,  may  be  relieved  by 
bandages;  but,  a  false  opinion  about  the  gods,  is  not  to 
be  expelled  by  cutting  and  burning;  and,  if  the  hand 
sacrificeth,  the  mind  reproves  the  hand,  and  condemns 
the  infirmity  of  the  body,  and  still  approves,  what  it  ap¬ 
proved  before.  There  is  only  an  appearance  of  a  change, 
but  no  real  alteration  of  sentiment.  Moreover,  they,  who 
comply,  are  pardoned  afterwards,  and  they,  who  die, 
(under  torture)  are  honoured  as  gods. 

“  Considering,  therefore,  these  things,  and  observing, 
likewise,  that  their  affairs  had  been  increased  by  slaugh¬ 
ters,  he  declined  what  he  could  not  approve  of.  Thus,  « 
he  brought  over  all  to  the  truth,  who  were  to  be  per¬ 
suaded;  but,  did  not  compel  those,  who  were  in  love  with 
falsehood.” — Lardner,  c.  xlix. 

Edioard.  This  is,  indeed,  very  important  testimony. 
There  is  no  mention  made,  here,  of  any  cause  for  per¬ 
secution,  beyond  the  holding  these  sentiments;  nor  of 
any  cause  of  success,  on  the  opposite  side,  beyond  the 
endurance  of  sufferings. 

|  Mr.  B.  We  have,  also,  an  oration  by  the  same  author, 
on  behalf  of  the  temples,  which  is  translated  at  length,  in 
Lardner,  and  which  establishes  some  very  important 
facts,  in  addition  to  the  above;  one  of  which  is,  that 
Christianity  was,  at  that  time,  the  prevailing  religion, 
and  heathenism  in  a  weak  and  declining  state ;  and,  anoth¬ 
er,  that  the  Christian  laws  “  do  not  permit  persecution , 
but  commend  persuasion ,  and  condemn  compulsion.” 
i  Maria.  But,  does  not  the  appeal  to  Christian  princi¬ 
ples,  imply,  some  degree  of  persecution  existing? 
i  Mr.  B.  The  oration  is  addressed  to  Theodosius,  and 


52  What  does  Edward  say,  of  the  testimony  of  Libanius  1 — 53  What 
other  important  testimony  is  there,  from  the  same  author  t — 54  To  whom 
was  that  oration  of  Libanius  addressed  1 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


63 

the  occasion  of  it  was,  the  pulling  down  of  some  temples, 
without  the  express  orders  of  the  emperor.  That  no  au¬ 
thorised  persecution  of  the  Pagans  took  place,  and  that 
the  emperor  did  not  sanction  any  outrages,  which  the 
populace  might  perpetrate,  under  the  pretext  of  zeal  for 
Christianity,  is  abundantly  manifest,  from  the  whole  ora¬ 
tion;  but,  one  passage  is  so  remarkable,  that,  notwith¬ 
standing  the  time  already  spent,  in  examining  extracts 
upon  this  subject,  it  cannot  be  omitted.  He  asserts, 
that  those,  who  had  suffered  from  Christian  zeal,  were 
not  liable  to  penalties,  from  having  act<jd  contrary  to 
law:  and  continues — 

“  Of  which,  there  would  have  been  some  appearance,  if 
you,  O  Emperor,  had  published  a  decree  to  this  purpose: 

‘  Let  no  man,  within  my  empire,  believe  in  the  gods,  nor 
worship  them,  nor  ask  any  good  thing  of  them,  neither  for 
himself,  nor  for  his  children,  unless  it  be  done  in  silence, 
and  privately ;  but,  let  all  present  themselves  at  the  places 
where  I  worship,  and  join  in  the  rites  there  performed. 
And  let  them  offer  the  same  prayerb,  which  they  do,  and 
bow  the  head  at  the  hand  of  him,  who  directs  the  multi¬ 
tude.  Whoever  transgresses  this  law,  shall  be  put  to 
death.’  It  was  easy  for  you  to  publish  such  a  law  as 
this;  but  you  have  not  done  it,  nor  have  you,  in  this  mat¬ 
ter,  laid  a  yoke  upon  the  souls  of  men.  But,  though  you 
think  one  way  better  than  the  other,  yet,  you  do  not  judge 
that  other  to  be  an  impiety,  for  which  a  man  may  be 
justly  punished.  Nor,  have  you  excluded  those,  of  that 
sentiment,  from  honours,  but  have  conferred  upon  them 
the  highest  offices,  and  have  given  them  access  to  your 
table,  to  eat  and  drink  with  you.  This,  you  have  done, 
formerly,  and  at  this  time:  besides  others,  you  have  as¬ 
sociated  to  yourself,  (thinking  it  advantageous  to  the 
government)  a  man,  who  swears  by  the  gods,  both  be¬ 
fore  others,  and  before  yourself;  and  you  are  not  offend¬ 
ed  at  it;  nor  do  you  think  yourself  injured  by  those 
oaths;  nor  do  you  account  him  a  wicked  man,  who  pla- 
ceth  his  best  hopes  in  the  gods.” — Lardner,  c.  xlix. 


55  What  account  is  given  of  this  oration  1 — 66  What  is  the  substance 
of  the  extract  from  the  oration  to  Theodosius  1 


64 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


Edward.  Yet,  ultimately,  Paganism  was  suppressed 
by  the  emperors. 

Mr.  j B.  It  was  not  so  much  suppressed  by  them,  as  it 
was  left  by  them,  to  its  own  strength,  for  defence,  and 
sunk,  in  consequence,  gradually,  as  might  have  been 
expected.  The  countenance,  afforded  by  the  emperors, 
to  Christianity,  was,  undoubtedly,  of  the  greatest  conse¬ 
quence  to  it;  but,  it  must  be  remembered,  it  was  not 
they,  who  made  the  new  religion  powerful  in  the  first 
instance;  the  first,  and  great  steps,  had  already  been 
made  by  the  *new  faith;  it  had  been  found  invincible, 
before  the  state  joined  its  strength  to  it.  Indeed,  it  is 
very  questionable,  whether  some  of  the  emperors  ever 
would  have  advocated  it,  had  they  not  felt  its  influence 
to  be  irresistible. 

Maria.  You  regard,  then,  the  patronage  given  to 
Christianity,  as  the  effect ,  not  the  cause,  of  its  general 
reception? 

Mr.  B.  Certainly;  though  I  am  willing  to  allow,  that 
the  countenance,  thus  given  to  it,  materially  contributed 
to  its  universal  reception  afterwards. 

Maria.  But,  do  you  think,  had  the  court  continued 
Pagan,  that  Christianity  would  have  supplanted  Pagan¬ 
ism? 

Mr.  B.  In  reality,  it  would,  though  not  in  appearance; 
arguing  from  the  state  in  which  the  two  religions  were, 
at  the  commencement  of  the  third  century;  the  nominal 
change  of  the  religion  of  the  state,  might  have  been  re¬ 
tarded,  but  it  could  not  have  been  prevented:  the  princi¬ 
ples,  on  the  side  of  Christianity,  had  proved  themselves 
too  powerful  for  any  weapons,  which  Paganism  was  able 
to  produce. 

Edward.  The  light,  which  is  thrown  on  the  subject, 
by  the  quotations  you  have  produced,  appears  to  me  cal¬ 
culated  to  give  great  interest  to  a  .further  investigation 


57  What  is  said,  by  Mr.  B.,  in  reply  to  the  remark  of  Edward,  that 
Paganism  was  suppressed  1 — 58  What  is  said  of  the  countenance  of  the 
emperors  to  Christianity  1 — 59  What  may  have  induced  them  first  to  fa¬ 
vour  it  ? — 60  How  does  Maria  remark  upon  this  1 — 61  Would  Christian¬ 
ity  have  supplanted  Paganism,  had  the  latter  continued  to  be  the  religion 
of  the  court  1 — 62  What  does  Edward  say  of  the  quotations  made  1 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  65 

of  the  causes,  which  could  have  led  to  so  remarkable  a 
result. 

Maria.  One  would  naturally  suppose,  there  must  have 
been  great  strength  in  Christianity  or  great  weakness 
in  Paganism;  since,  wnatever  advantage  the  protection 
of  the  state  afforded  to  the  first  after  its  establishment, 
appears,  by  the  statement  of  Libanius,  to  have  been  af¬ 
forded  to  the  other,  previously,  with  the  addition  of  severe 
suffering  being  inflicted  on  those,  who  professed  Chris¬ 
tianity. 

Mr.  B.  The  statements  of  the  heathen  writers,  who 
lived  subsequently  to  the  establishment  of  Christianity, 
appear  fully  to  bear  out  the  truth  of  the  Christian  state¬ 
ments,  so  far  as  they  go.  We  find  in  them,  no  trace  of 
Christianity  having  arisen,  at  a  different  time,  or  under 
different  circumstances,  from  those  alleged;  no  intima¬ 
tion  of  there  being  any  doubt  then  entertained  upon  this 
subject.  It  appears  certain,  also,  that  the  avowed  tenets 
of  the  Christians,  as  to  persecution,  were  the  same,  as 
what  its  apologists  now  state ;  and,  from  all  that  we  can 
collect,  from  the  remaining  documents  of  fheir  enemies, 
we  have  every  reason  to  believe,  Christianity,  at  the  time 
of  its  nominal  establishment,  was  received  by  great  num¬ 
bers,  throughout  the  whole  extent  of  the  empire,  and  had 
not  attained  that  general  reception,  by  any  other  means, 
than  the  strength  derived  from  the  very  principles  of  the 
religion  itself. 

Edward  Do  you,  then,  think,  the  majority  of  the  in¬ 
habitants  of  the  Roman  empire  had  embraced  Christian¬ 
ity,  before  the  declaration  of  Constantine  in  its  favour? 

Mr.  B.  By  no  means;  for,  the  embracing  it  was  at¬ 
tended  with  penalties,  too  terrible  for  such  a  general  re¬ 
ception,  among  those,  who  were  indifferent,  as  to  religion: 
but,  it  appears  to  me  certain,  that  there  was  so  general  a 
reception  of  it.  among  those,  who  did  feel  an  interest  in 


63  What  aoes  Maria  nay,  on  the  relative  strength  of  the  two  religions  1 
64  What  is  found,  from  the  statements  of  heathen  writers,  who  lived  sub¬ 
sequently  to  the  establishment  of  Christianity'? — 65  What  question  does 
Kd ward  ask,  in  relation  to  the  spread  of  Christianity  1 — 66  How  does 
Mr.  B.  reply  to  him  1 


6# 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


66 

religion,  as  to  give  it  the  greater  force.  You  must  meas¬ 
ure  the  strength  of  a  religious  party,  not  by  mere  names, 
or  appearances,  but  by  the  numbers  of  those,  who  really 
are  attached  to  it,  and  the  degree,  to  which  they  are  at¬ 
tached.  Considered  in  this  point  of  view,  there  can  be  no 
doubt,  that  the  Christians  were,  decidedly,  the  most  pow¬ 
erful  religious  party  in  the  empire;  for,  their  numbers  are 
sufficiently  attested,  both  by  friends,  and  foes;  and,  their 
attachment  to  their  faith,  not  only  withstood  the  most  vi¬ 
olent  attacks,  but  wearied  out  their  persecutors.  The 
result  proved,  that  the  means  employed  for  its  subversion, 
were  wholly  ineffectual.  The  ease,  with  which  Pagan¬ 
ism  was  supplanted  by  Christianity,  in  the  first  instance, 
under  Constantine,  and  the  readiness,  with  which  the 
empire  reverted  to  this  religion,  after  all  the  labours  of 
Julian,  to  overthrow  it,  immediately  upon  that  emperor’s 
death,  prove,  decidedly,  that  the  Gospel,  which,  in  its 
commencement,  had  been  but  as  a  grain  of  mustard  seed, 
had  struck  deep  root,  and  spread  forth  its  influence 
through  all  lands. 


CONVERSATION  V. 

Mr.  B.  In  our  last  conversation,  we  satisfied  ourselves 
as  to  the  existence  of  Christianity,  up  to  the  time  of  the 
emperor  Julian,  and  found  no  evidence  of  its  having  had 
any  other  origin,  than  what  is  commonly  assigned.  In 
further  tracing  the  vestiges  of  this  religion,  you  must  be 
aware,  from  the  very  nature  of  the  case,  that  we  cannot 
reasonably  expect  such  strong  evidence  as  we  have  had, 
in  the  preceding  part  of  our  inquiry. 

Edivard.  Certainly;  if  Christianity  was  originally  pro- 


67  How  roust  the  strength  of  a  religious  party  be  measured  1 — 68  What 
circumstances  prove  the  deep  root,  which  Christianity  had  taken,  and  the 
rapidity,  with  which  it  spread  1 

1  What  was  done  in  the  fourth  conversation  1 — 2  What  does  Edward 
say,  as  to  the  amount  of  evidence  to  be  expected  in  favour  of  Christianity, 
in  its  infancy  1 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


67 

fessed,  only  by  an  obscure  and  despised  sect,  in  a  remote 
province  of  the  Roman  empire,  it  would  be  unreasonable 
to  expect  it  should  attract  that  attention,  which  it  after¬ 
wards  obtained  when  it  became  the  religion  of  a  mate¬ 
rial  portion  of  the  whole  people. 

Mr.  B.  It  is,  also,  probable,  that  if  such  were  its  ori¬ 
gin,  in  the  first  instance,  it  would  “  be  every  where  spo¬ 
ken  against;”  for,  we  know,  that  there  was  a  general 
prejudice  against  the  Jews ;  and,  the  Christian  statement 
as  to  the  death  of  its  Founder,  was  not  likely  to  allure 
the  votaries  of  the  established  superstitions.  From  the 
testimony  of  Libanius,  it  appeared,  that  the  Christians, 
previously  to  their  obtaining  the  ascendency,  had  been 
cruelly  persecuted;  and,  it  hence  becomes  by  no  means 
improbable,  that  they  were  also  calumniated;  and,  the 
more  so,  if  the  hatred  of  the  Christians  to  idolatry,  which 
we  have  already  seen,  was  manifested,  during  the  peri¬ 
od,  in  which  the  power  remained  in  the  hands  of  its  abet¬ 
tors.  But,  let  us  now  turn  from  conjecture  to  examina¬ 
tion,  and  we  shall  find  the  truth  of  these  observations 
confirmed  by  facts.  During  the  latter  part  of  the  period 
under  consideration,  Christianity  was  an  object  of  the 
greatest  interest,  and  its  opposers  were  equally  anxious 
to  overthrow  its  principles,  and  intimidate  its  professors, 
into  a  renunciation  of  them.  During  the  second  centu¬ 
ry,  it  was  by  no  means  so  much  the  object  of  general 
attention;  for,  its  success  was  not  then  so  decided,  as  to 
threaten  the  subversion  of  the  established  creed;  and,  in 
the  first,  we  only  find  such  traces  of  it,  as  might  have 
been  expected  would  remain,  of  a  sect,  which  had  its 
origin  in  a  country,  the  inhabitants  of  which,  were  gen¬ 
erally  disliked,  and  the  religion  of  which,  was  not  un¬ 
derstood. 

Maria.  But,  does  the  increased  knowledge  of  Christi¬ 
anity,  which  the  Pagans  had,  in  consequence  of  its  uni¬ 
versal  dissemination,  prove  favourable  to  it? 


3  Wliat  else  is  also  probable  1 — 4  What  appears,  from  the  testimony  of 
Libanius  1 — 5  What  is  said  of  Christianity,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  period 
under  consideration  1 — 6  And  in  the  second  century  j — 7  And  in  the 
first  t 


68 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


Mr.  B.  It  does;  inasmuch  as  accusations  of  horrible 
crimes,  practised  by  the  Christians,  at  secret  meetings, 
were  afterwards  laid  aside,  as  untenable,  although  the 
disposition  of  its  enemies  yet  remained  unchanged. 

Maria.  And,  is  there  no  trace  of  any  other  origin,  than 
the  one  commonly  assigned  to  Christianity,  perceptible 
in  their  writings? 

Mr.  B.  Not  the  least;  but,  abundant  confirmation  of 
the  Christian  statements  on  the  subject. 

Maria.  But,  what  sort  of  writers  are  those,  which  thus 
corroborate  them? 

Mr.  B.  The  works,  in  question,  may  be  divided  into 
three  classes.  Imperial  edicts,  relative  to  the  Chris¬ 
tians;  the  works  of  professed  antagonists  of  Christiani¬ 
ty;  and,  lastly,  those  of  writers,  who  incidentally  allude 
to  it. 

Maria.  Have  the  first  come  down  to  us  entire  ? 

Mr.  B.  Unfortunately,  they  have  not.  Lactantius  re¬ 
lates,  that  Ulpian,  who  flourished  at  the  beginning  of  the 
third  century,  made  a  collection  of  the  edicts  against 
them,  which  he  inserted  in  his  work,  on  the  Duty  of  a 
Proconsul;  but,  this  being  no  longer  extant,  we  are 
forced  to  content  ourselves  with  the  fragments,  which 
yet  remain,  interspersed  in  the  writings  of  contemporary 
authors. 

Edward.  But,  can  we  rely  on  such  evidence,  if  trans¬ 
mitted  only  through  the  medium  of  Christians? 

Maria.  According  to  the  conclusions  drawn,  in  a  for¬ 
mer  conversation,  we  must  (provided  there  is  no  internal 
evidence  militating  against  them),  since  the  facts  must 
have  been  matters  of  public  notoriety;  and,  it  is  not 
likely,  in  such  a  point,  the  Christians  would  run  an  un¬ 
necessary  risk  of  exposure. 

Mr.  B.  And,  in  this  case,  the  testimony  of  Pagans, 
already  adduced,  is  greatly  in  favour  of  their  accuracy; 


8  What  is  said  of  the  favourable  change  towards  Christians,  which  took 
pi  ace! — 9  What  are  the  three  classes,  into  which  the  writers  are  divided, 
who  corroborate  the  Gospel  history  1 — 10  Maria  asks,  if  the  first  of  these 
classes  have  come  down  to  us  entire — what  reply  does  Mr.  B.  make  to 
her  1 — 11  On  what  account  does  she  say,  that  we  may  rely  on  such  evi¬ 
dence  1 — 12  What  does  Mr.  B.  say,  of  its  genuineness  1 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY.  69 

and  they,  also,  bear  the  strongest  internal  marks  of  gen¬ 
uineness. 

Edward.  How  high  does  our  knowledge  of  the  con¬ 
duct,  pursued  by  the  emperors,  extend? 

Mr.  B.  We  have  mention  made,  by  heathen  writers, 
of  persecutions  carried  on  against  the  Christians,  to  the 
first,  viz.  that  of  Nero,  in  the  year  67:  but,  our  knowl¬ 
edge  of  the  declared  sentiments  of  the  emperors,  does 
not  extend  higher,  than  the  year  110,  when  Trajan  ap¬ 
pears  to  have  given  the  first  general  directions  as  to  the 
conduct,  which  was  in  future  to  be  pursued,  by  the  pub¬ 
lic  officers  towards  them. 

Edward.  You  speak  of  the  emperors,  as  the  persecu¬ 
tors  of  the  church.  Are  we  warranted,  from  the  rec¬ 
ords,  which  have  come  down  to  us,  in  regarding  them  as 
such  ? 

Maria.  Surely,  not  all:  there  were  some  excellent  men 
among  them. 

Mr.  B.  The  conclusion,  which  Lardner  draws,  from  a 
very  careful  examination  of  all  the  remaining  documents, 
which  can  throw  light  upon  the  subject,  is,  that 

“  Christianity  from  the  time  of  its  first  appearance  in 
the  world,  was  all  along  in  a  state  of  persecution,  till  the 
time  of  Constantine.” 

He  afterwards  explains  himself  more  at  large,  as  fol¬ 
lows  : 

“  These  things  are  sufficient  to  assure  us,  that  the 
Christians,  in  this  period,  were,  generally,  in  suffering 
circumstances,  and  were  liable  to  suffer. 

“  Nevertheless,  after  all,  it  is  not  to  be  supposed,  that 
persecution  was  always  violent  and  uninterrupted:  there 
might  be  some  abatements  of  those  troubles,  and  some 
seasons  of  rest  and  peace:  what  they  were,  may  be  col¬ 
lected,  from  what  we  have  seen  in  this  and  the  preceding 
volume:  and  I  shall  here  reckon  them  up  in  a  summary 


13  What  is  the  reply  of  Mr.  B.  to  the  following  question — How  high 
does  our  knowledge  of  the  conduct,  pursued  by  the  emperors,  extend  1 — 14 
Were  the  Roman  emperors  persecutors  of  the  church  1 — 15  How  long  does 
Lardner  say  it  was  persecuted  1 — 16  What  qualification  does  he  afterwards 
make  to  this  1 


70 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


manner.  We  reckon,  that  Nerva  was  favourable  to 
them,  who,  when  he  repealed  the  other  acts  of  Domi- 
tian,  repealed,  also,  his  law  against  the  Christians.  His 
successor,  Trajan,  published  an  edict  against  the  Chris¬ 
tians,  which,  as  has  been  often  hinted  already,  never  was 
abrogated,  but  continued  in  force  so  long  as  heathenism 
subsisted  in  the  Roman  empire.  Nevertheless,  we  can 
perceive,  that,  in  the  reigns  of  Adrian,  and  Titus  Anto¬ 
ninus,  there  were  some  edicts,  or  rescripts,  which  were 
favourable  to  them;  though,  during  those  very  reigns, 
many  Christians  still  suffered  in  almost  every  part  of  the 
empire.  They  also  received  some  favour  from  Alexan-  *■ 
der  Severus,  and  Philip.  They  might,  also,  enjoy  peace 
and  tranquillity  in  the  reigns  of  Commodus,  aqd  Cara- 
calla,  who  did  not  much  concern  themselves  about  the 
affairs  of  religion.  The  first  years  of  Valerian,  and  the 
reign  of  Gallienus,  after  Valerian’s  captivity,  were  fa¬ 
vourable  to  them;  as,  likewise,  the  former  part  of  the 
reign  of  Diocletian,  when  the  Roman  empire  was  dis¬ 
turbed  by  enemies  on  every  side. 

“  When,  therefore,  I  say,  that  all  this  while,  Christi¬ 
anity  was  in  a  state  of  persecution,  I  am  willing,  that 
proposition  should  be  understood  in  a  mild  and  qualified 
sense.” — Lardner,  c.  xli. 

Maria.  Then,  to  whom  are  the  persecutions  more  par¬ 
ticularly  attributed? 

Mr.  B.  To  Nero,  Domitian,  Trajan,  Marcus  Antoni¬ 
nus,  Severus,  Maximin  the  Thracian,  Decius,  Gallus, 
Valerian,  Aurelian,  and,  lastly,  Diocletian  and  his  col¬ 
leagues. 

Edward.  You  do  not  put  Julian  in  this  list? 

Mr.  B.  He  was,  in  one  sense,  a  bitter  persecutor  of 
the  Christians,  for  he  bent  all  the  powers  of  a  very  strong 
mind  to  their  subversion;  but,  he  did  not  pursue  the  same 
cruel  method,  which  had  been  so  frequently  tried  by  his 
predecessors;  because,  he  was  aware  it  had  turned  out 


17  What  does  he  say  of  Domitian  and  T rajan,  in  particular  1 — 18  And 
of  Adrian,  Titus  Antoninus,  Alexander  Severus,  and  Philip  1 — 19  What 
is  said  of  Christians,  in  the  time  of  Valerian,  Gallienus,  and  Diocletian  1 
20  To  whom  are  the  persecutions  more  particularly  attributed! — 21 
What  is  said  of  Julian,  as  a  persecutor  ! 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY.  71 

lo  the  advantage  of  the  religion  he  was  anxious  to  over¬ 
throw. 

Edward.  But,  yet,  you  do  not  regard  him  as  a  toler¬ 
ant  emperor? 

Mr.  B.  He  was  only  tolerant,  so  far  as  his  interest 
compelled  him  to  be  tolerant:  he  eagerly  sought  for  pre¬ 
texts  to  banish  the  Christian  clergy,  and,  by  an  edict, 
which  the  Pagan  writers,  themselves,  reprobate  as  cruel, 
and  most  unworthy  of  him,  prohibited  Christians  from 
practising  the  liberal  arts. 

Mama.  He  must  have  feared  the  intellectual,  as  well 
as  the  numerical,  strength  of  the  Christians. 

Mr.  B.  He  unquestionably  did  so:  and,  it  is  of  some 
importance  to  our  argument,  to  know,  that,  though  Chris¬ 
tianity  sprang  from  a  low  and  obscure  origin,  according 
to  the  statement  of  its  adversaries,  yet,  when  it  came  to 
be  known,  and  when  persecution  was  most  violent,  it  yet 
numbered,  among  its  followers,  men  of  the  fir§t  talenfs, 
and  most  profound  learning. 

Maria.  Might  not  some  other  cause,  besides  a  differ¬ 
ence  in  religion,  have  prompted  the  persecutions? 

Mr.  B.  Christianity  occasioned  not  so  much  a  differ¬ 
ence  of  religion,  as  an  opposition  of  religions.  Judaism 
had  been  freely  tolerated,  like  all  other  religions,  which 
did  not  interfere  with  that  of  the  state.  But,  the  evident 
tendency  of  Christianity,  was,  to  overthrow  all  other 
creeds;  it  admitted  of  no  compromise,  and,  consequent¬ 
ly,  no  way  was  left,  but  to  put  it  down  by  force,  or  to 
leave  the  matter  to  be  decided  by  time  and  truth:  the 
passions,  and  interests,  however,  of  the  persecutors, 
were  too  much  pledged  in  behalf  of  Paganism,  to  per¬ 
mit  them  to  do  the  latter,  and  the  former  was  the  neces¬ 
sary  result.  However  shocking,  the  continued  perse¬ 
cutions  of  the  Christians  may  appear  to  us,  it  cannot  be 
a  matter  of  surprise,  that  a  religion,  the  avowed  object 
of  which  was,  the  overthrow  of  all  others,  should  instant- 


22  What  reply  is  made  to  the  question,  if  he  were  not  a  tolerant  em¬ 
peror  1 — 23  Did  he  fear  the  influence  of  Christians  1 — 24  What  does  Mr. 
B.  say,  is  of  some  importance  to  our  argument  1 — 25  How  had  Judaism 
been  treated  1 — 26  Why  were  Pagans  so  determined,  in  their  hostility  to 
Christianity  t 


72 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


ly  create  a  host  of  enemies,  little  disposed  to  examine  its 
real  character.  The  Christians,  themselves,  from  the 
earliest  times,  expected  persecutions,  as  a  natural  and 
almost  unavoidable  result  of  their  profession;  and,  the 
wonder  is,  that,  under  such  circumstances,  any  should 
have  been  induced  to  embrace  it.  To  those,  who  knew 
little  of  it,  the  conduct  of  such  appeared  perfect  madness: 
it  was  commonly  spoken  of,  and  regarded,  as  such ;  but, 
it  was,  also,  deemed  too  pernicious  a  phrensy,  to  be  over¬ 
looked  or  neglected. 

Maria.  This,  then,  was  a  sufficient  cause;  but,  might 
not  another  have  existed,  in  the  licentious  conduct  of  the 
Christians  ? 

Mr.  B.  We  have  no  such  reason  assigned,  in  any  of 
the  edicts,  nor  is  any  such  reason  for  persecution  alleg¬ 
ed,  by  the  apologists,  for  Paganism,  which  could  hardly 
have  been  omitted,  had  the  cause  existed. 

*  MariaK  Were  the  sufferings  of  the  Christians,  in  these 
persecutions,  very  severe? 

Mr.  B.  They  depended,  in  a  great  measure,  upon  the 
disposition  of  the  governors,  in  the  provinces:  in  some 
cases,  they  appear  to  have  been  very  great;  but,  for  the 
details,  we  are  forced  to  depend  on  Christian  writers,  in 
whom,  we  may  naturally  suppose,  there  was  a  tendency 
to  exaggerate  the  sufferings  of  the  faithful. 

Edward.  But,  were  the  persecutions  so  severe,  as  to 
become  a  certain  test  of  the  sincerity  of  the  sufferers  ? 

Mr.  B.  Of  that,  there  can  bf  no  doubt:  and,  to  some, 
the  extremity  of  their  torments  would  even  prove  more. 

“Under  this  head,  I  cannot  omit  that,  which  appears 
to  me  a  standing  miracle,  in  the  three  first  centuries;  I 
mean,  that  amazing  and  supernatural  courage  and  pa¬ 
tience,  which  was  shown  by  innumerable  multitudes  of 
martyrs,  in  those  slow  and  painful  torments,  that  were 
inflicted  on  them.  I  cannot  conceive  a  man,  placed  in 


27  On  what  account  is  it  a  wonder,  that  any  embraced  Christianity  1 — 
28  Maria  asks,  if  the  licentious  conduct  of  Christians,  were  not  a  cause 
of  their  being  persecuted  1 — 29  She  asks,  if  the  persecutions  were  severe. 
— what  is  the  answer  to  her  question  1—30  What  is  the  reply  to  Edward’s 
question  on  this  matter  ! 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY.  73 

the  burning  chair,  at  Lyons,  amidst  the  insults  and  mock¬ 
eries  of  a  crowded  amphitheatre,  and  still  keeping  his 
seat.;  or,  stretched  upon  a  grate  of  iron,  over  coals  of 
fire,  and  breathing- out  his  soul,  amidst  the  exquisite  suf¬ 
ferings  of  such  a  tedious  execution,  rather  than  renounce 
his  religion,  or  blaspheme  his  Saviour.  Such  trials  seem 
to  me  above  the  strength  of  hurfian  nature,  and  able  to 
overbear  duty,  reason,  faith,  conviction,  nay,  and  the 
most  absolute  certainty  of  a  future  state.  Humanity, 
unassisted  in  an  extraordinary  manner,  must  have  sha¬ 
ken  off  the  present,  pressure,  and  have  delivered  itself 
out  of  such  a  dreadful  distress,  by  any  means,  that  could 
have  been  suggested  to  it.  We  can  easily  imagine,  that 
many  persons,  in  so  good  a  cause,  might  have  laid  down 
their  lives  at  the  gibbet,  the  stake,  or  the  block;  but,  to 
expire  leisurely,  among  the  most  exquisite  tortures,  when 
•  they  might  come  out  of  them,  even  by  a  mental  reserva¬ 
tion,  or  an  hypocrisy,  which  is  not  without  the  possibility 
of  being  followed  by  repentance,  has  something  in  it,  so 
far  beyond  the  force,,  and  natural  strength  of  mortals,  that 
one  cannot  but  think,  that  there  was  some  miraculous 
power  to  support  the  sufferer.” — Addison’s  Evidences,  fj 
vii.  No.  4. 

Maria.  Does  this  conclusion  appear  to  you  correct  ? 

Mr.  B.  It  is  not  an  unnatural  one,  for  a  Christian  to 
make;  but,  it  would  hardly  be  allowed,  by  an  antagonist: 
and,  therefore,  I  shall  only  press  the  point  of  the  suffer¬ 
ings  of  the  primitive  Christians,  as  sufficiently  attesting 
their  sincerity. 

Maria.  But,  is  the  fact  of  their  endurance  of  suffer¬ 
ings,  sufficiently  attested,  by  contemporary  and  Pagan 
authors  ? 

Mr.  B.  The  following  quotations,  perhaps,  will  satisfy 
I  you.  Marcus  Aurelius  .writes,  in  his  Meditations: — 

“  How  happy  is  that  soul,  which  is  prepared  to  depart, 
presently,  or  to  be  extinguished,  or  dispersed,  or  to  remain 


31  What  instances,  of  great  severity,  does  Addison  mention  ! — 32 
What  reflections  does  he  make  on  them  1 — 33  Maria  asks,  if  such  a  con¬ 
clusion'  is  correct — what  js  the  answer  to  her  1 — 34  What  author  is  quot¬ 
ed,  as  testifying  to  the  patient  suffering  of  Christians,  under  persecution  1 
85  What  does  he  sav  1 


74 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


along  with  it!  But,  let  this  preparation  arise  from  its  own 
judgment,  and  not  from  mere  obstinacy,  like  that  of  the 
Christians,  that  you  may  die  considerately,  with  a  ven¬ 
erable  composure,  so  as  even  to  persuade  others  into  a 
like  disposition,  and  .without  noise  and  ostentation.” 

In  the  year  311,  Galerius  published  the  following 
edict: — 

“  The  Emperor  Coesar  Galerius  Valerius  Maximian, 
invincible,  august  high  priest,  to  the  people  of  the  prov¬ 
inces.  Among  other  things,  which  we  have  ordered, 
with  a  view  to  the  benefit  and  prosperity  of  the  public, 
we  did,  indeed,  formerly  strive  to  correct  all  things,  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  ancient  laws  and  established  constitution 
of  the  Romans;  and,  among  other  things,  that  the  Chris¬ 
tians,  who  had  forsaken  the  religion  of  their  ancestors, 
should  return  to  a  right  mind:  forasmuch,  as  by  some 
means,  such  an  obstinacy  had  seized  them,  and  such  was 
their  folly,  that  they  followed  not  the  institutions  of  the 
ancients,  which,  possibly,  some  of  their  own  ancestors 
had  appointed;  but,  according  to  their  own  fancy,  and 
just  as  they  pleased,  they  made  laws  for  themselves,  to 
be  observed  and  followed  bv  them,  and,  in  many  places, 
they  drew  over  multitudes  of  people  to  follow  their  cus¬ 
toms.  Wherefore,  when,  after  we  had  published  our 
edict,  that  they  should  return  to  the  institutions  of  the 
ancients,  many  have  been  exposed  to  danger,  and  many 
have  been  greatly  afflicted,  and  have  undergone  various 
kinds  of  deaths;  and,  forasmuch  as  great  multitudes  yet 
persist  in  their  opinions,  and  we  have  perceived,  that 
they  give  not  due  worship  and  reverence  to  the  immor 
tal  Gods,  nor  yet  worship  the  God  of  the  Christians;  we, 
duly  considering  our  accustomed  mildness  and  humani¬ 
ty,  with  which  we  are  wont  to  dispense  pardon  to  all  men, 
have  thought  proper  readily  to  hold  forth  to  them  this 
indulgence;  that  they  may,  at  length,  be  Christians,  and 
that  they  may  rebuild  the  houses,  in  which  they  have- 
been  used  to  assemble,  provided  they  do  nothing  contra- 


i  36  Who  published  an  edict,  in  311,  respecting  Christians'? — 37  To 
what  previous  edicts  does  he  allude  ? — 38  What’ had  disposed  him  to 
adopt  a  course  of  toleration  towards  them  1 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  75 

ry  to  good  government.  By  another  letter,  we  shall 
make .  known  our  pleasure  to  the  judges,  for  the  direc¬ 
tion' of  their  conduct;  wherefore,  agreeably  to  this  our 
indulgence,  they  ought  to  pray  to  their  God  for  our  wel¬ 
fare,  and  for  that  of  the  public,  and  for  their  own,  that,' 
on  all  sides,  the  public  may  be  preserved  in  peace  and 
safety,  and  they  may  live  securely  in  their  own  habita¬ 
tions.”: — Lardner,  c.  xl, 

Eusebius  has,  also,  preserved  the  following  official 
letter  of  SabinuS,  at  that  time  prefect  of  the  praetorium, 
to  the  governors  of  the  provinces: — 

“  The  majesty  of  our  most  sacred  lords  the  emperors, 
influenced  by  the  pious  and  devout  principle,  with  which 
their  minds  are  filled,  have  long  since  designed  to  bring 
all  mento  the  right  and  true  way  of  living ;  and,  that  they, 
who  have  embraced  different  usages  from  the  Romans, 
should  be  induced  to  give  due  reverence  to  the  immortal 
Gods.  Rut,  such  is,  the  obstinacy  and  perverseness  of 
some  men,  that  neither  the  justice  of  the  imperial  edicts, 
liior  the  imminent  danger  of  punishment,  could  prevail 
upon  them.  Forasmuch,  therefore,  as  by  this  means, 
it  has  happened,  that  many  have  brought  themselves  in¬ 
to  great  dangers,  our  most  sacred  and  powerful  lords  the 
emperors,  agreeably  to  their  innate  piety  and  clemency, 
considering  it  to  be  far  from  their  intention,  that,  upon 
this  account,  many  should  be  exposed  to  danger,  have 
commanded  us  to  write  this  letter  to  you,  and  to  direct 
you,  that,  if  any  of  tjie  Christians  should  be  found  prac¬ 
tising  the  worship  of  their  sect,  you  should  not  bring  him 
into  any  danger,  nor  give  him  any  trouble,  nor  appoint 
any  punishment  to  him  upon  that  account.  Forasmuch 
as  it  has  been  manifestly  found,  by  the  experience  of  a  long 
course  of  time,  that  they  cannot,  by  any  means  whatever,  be 
induced  to  depart  from  this  obstinacy  of  disposition,  you  are, 
therefore,  to  write  to  the  curators,  and  other  magistrates,' 
and  to  the  governors  of  the  villages  of  every  city,  that 
they  are  no  longer  to  concern  themselves  in  this  affair.  ” 
—Lardner,  c.  xl.  . 


89  What  letter  is  introduced,  relating  to  the  same  subject  1 — 40  Of 
what  does  he  accuse  the  Christians  l — 41  On  what  account  does  the’let- 
ter  state,  that  a  lenient  course  of  policy  is  to  be  pursued  towards  them  * 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


76 

Maria.  These  documents  are  certainly  sufficient,  to 
establish  the  fact  of  the  sufferings  of'the  primitive  Chris¬ 
tians,  on  behalf  of  their  faith. 

Mr.  B.  You  will  find  some  other  documents  equally 
interesting  in  Lardner;  but,  I  must  now  turn  to  the  sec¬ 
ond  class  of  authors,  who  have  given  us  information  as 
to  the  state  of  Christianity,  prior  to  the  downfall  pf  Pa¬ 
ganism;  viz.  professed  antagonists. 

Edward.  Their  accounts,  if  faithfully  preserved,  will 
ihardly  have  less  weight,  than  those  of  the  last  class. 

Mr.  B.  Unfortunately,  we  have  only  got  these  works 
in  fragments,  owing,  partly,  to  the  indiscreet  zeal  of  the 
early  Christians,  and,  partly,  to  the  neglect  into  which 
they  fell  after  the  establishment  of  Christianity. 

Maria.  But,  this  is  a  most  serious  loss,  and  reflects 
heavily  upon  those  who  destroyed  them.  Some  of  them, 
possibly,  contained  a  full-  vindication  of  those  eminent 
men,  among  the  Pagans,  who  rejected  Christianity. 

Mr.  B.  The  loss  is,  indeed,  great,  as  it  is  from  their 
writings,  we  draw  some  of  the  strongest  arguments  in  fa¬ 
vour  of  Christianity;  but,  we  have  sufficient  remains  to 
show,  of  what  nature  were  the  arguments,  by  which  Pa¬ 
ganism  was  defended*  and  there  is  every  reason  to  be¬ 
lieve,  that  the  statement  of  Chrysostom,  respecting  them, 
is  correct,  when  he  says: — 

“  The  books,  written  against  Christianity,  were  so 
contemptible,  that  they  had  been  all,  in  a  manner,  lost 
long  ago.  Many  of  them  perished  almost  as  soon  as  they 
appeared.  But,  if  they  are  still  to  be  found,  any  where, 
it  is  among  the  Christians.” 

Edward.  Is  there  reason  to  believe,  that  any  treatises, 
written  by  very  superior  men,  have  been  wholly  lost? 

Mr.  B.  TJiere  is  not:  the  greater  part  of  the  treatises, 
which  appear  to  have  excited  attention,  on  acccout  of  the 
learning  and  ability  displayed  in  them,  viz.  those  of  Cel- 


42  What  does  Maria  say  of  these  documents  *? — 43  Where  else  may 
other  documents  be  found,  equally  interesting  1 — 44  In  what  condition 
have  the  writings  of  professed  enemies  to  Christianity  come  down  to  us  1 
45  On  what  account,  is  the  loss  of  these  writings  to  be  lamented  1 — 46 
What  does  Chrysostom  say  of  them  1 — 47  Edward  asks,  if  aiiy  treatises, 
written  by  very  superior  men,  have  been  wholly  lost — what  is  the  reply  1 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY. 


77 


sus,  Porphyry,  and  the  emperor  Julian,  are  preserved  to 
us  in  the  replies  respectively  made  to  them.  Of  others, 
as  Hierocles,  and  Fronto,  we  have  only  a  few  passages 
referred  to  by  Tertullian,  Lactantius,  and  other  Chris¬ 
tian  advocates. 

Maria.  At  what  time  did  these  authors  write  ? 

Mr.  B.  Celsus  is  supposed  to  have  written  his  work 
against  the  Christians,  entitled  “The  True  Word,”  about 
the  year  176;  Porphyry  wrote  nearly  one  hundred  years 
subsequently;  and  Julian,  about  the  year  361:  so,  that 
sufficient  time  elapsed  for  the  arguments  of  each  to  have 
their  weight  with  the  public. 

Maria.  Does  it  appear,  from  the  remains  of  these  au¬ 
thors,  that  they  were  men  of  sufficient  acuteness  to  be 
regarded  as  able  opponents  of  Christianity? 

‘  Mr.  B.  They  have  generally  been  considered  as  such. 
The  arguments  they  make  use  of,  are  of  the  kind,  that 
reasonably  might  be  expected,  from  persons  situated  as 
they  were.  There  can  be  no  doubt,  that  they  were  most 
anxious  to  overthrow  the  Christian  religion;  and,  if  the 
arguments  they  adduced,  be  not  sufficient  so  to  do,  we 
have  far  more  reason  to  impute  their  failure  to  the  weak¬ 
ness  of  the  cause,  than  to  the  folly  or  negligence  of  its 
advocates. 

Edward.  The  talents  of  the  emperor-Julian,  are  so  well 
known,  that  it  seems  only  reasonable  to  infer,  that  noth¬ 
ing  more  could  be  adduced  against  Christianity,  in  his 
days,  than  what  he  himself  brought  forward. 

Mr.  B.  Porphyry  also  appears  to  have  been  a  man  of 
no  common  talents  or  attainments.  Qf  Celsus,  we  know 
little;  but,  from  his  work,  cannot  think  meanly  of  his 
abilities. 

Maria.  And,-  what  is  the  sum  of  the  information  de¬ 
rived  from  their  tyorks  respecting  Christianity? 

Mr.  B.  Celsus  informs  us,  that  the  Christians  were 
at  first  few  in  number,  but  had  increased  greatly,  and 


48  At  what  time  did  the  authors  named,  write  1 — 49  What,  is  said  of 
the  ability,  with  which  they  wrote”? — 50  What  does  Edward  say,  of  the 
talents  of  Julian  ”? — 51  What  does  Mr.  B.  say,  of  Porphyry  and  Celsus, 
as  men  of  talents  ? — 52  What  account  does  Celsus  give  of  Christians  1  ^ 

7* 


78 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


divided  into  parties  among  themselves;  that  they  were 
in  a  state  of  persecution — their  assemblies  being  forbid¬ 
den,  and  the  punishment  of  death  hanging  over  them; 
yet  they  continued  performing  and  teaching  those  things 
agreeably  to  their  sentiments  privately,  and  that  they 
even  died  for  Christ’s  sake,  for  which  he  derides  them. 
He  also  fully  establishes  many  of  the  leading  events  of 
the  life  of  Christ.  Porphyry  speaks  ol  the  Christian  reli¬ 
gion  as  “ Barbarian  temerity,”  as  “contrary  to  the  laws;” 
and  in  a  work  of  his  on  Abstinence,  we  find  him  allud¬ 
ing  to  “  some  mean  people,  who,  having  embraced  rules 
different  from  their  former  way  of  life,  will  endure  to 
be  torn  limb  from  limb,  rather  than  return  to  their  old 
course;  who  abstained  from  some  animals,  which  they 
once  eat  greedily,  with  more  care  than  from  human 
flesh;”  meaning  the  Christians,  who  abstained  from 
things  offered  in  sacrifice  to  idols.  Julian  speaks  of 
Jesus  as  the  Founder  of  Christianity;  as  having  been 
born  in  the  reign  of  Augustus,  at  the  time  alleged  by  the 
Christians,  and  in  many  other  important  particulars  con¬ 
firms  the  truth  of  the  Christian  statements. 

Edward.  We  may  therefore  certainly  conclude,  that, 
in  the  main,  the  Christian  account  of  the  origin  of  this 
religion  is  correct;  for  it  cannot  be  conceived,  that  so 
many  acute  adversaries  would  all  pass  over  a  false  state¬ 
ment  on  this  point,  and  even  confirm  it. 

.Maria.  And  though  the  Christians  suffered  persecu¬ 
tion,  in  consequence  of  their  attachment  to  this  religion, 
yet  it  prevailed  over  all  opposition. 

Mr.  B.  As  we  shall  have  occasion  to  return  to  the 
testimony  of  these  authors  again,  I  shall  hasten  to  give 
you  some  specimens  of  the  third  class  of  writers  wljo 
have  given  us  information  on  the  subject  of  Christianity. 

Spartian,  who  wrote  at  the  commencement  of  the 
fourth  century,  says,  that  “  Septimus  Severus  forbade, 
under  a  severe  penalty,  that  any  should  become  Jews. 
A  like  edict  was  published  by  him  against  the  Christ¬ 
ians.” — Lardner,  c.  xxiii. 

53  How  does  Porphyry  speak  upon  . these  subjects'? — 54  What  does  Ju¬ 
lian  say  upon  them'! — 55  What  inference  does  Edward  draw  front  these 
accounts'! — 56  What  does  Spartian  sayt 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY. 


79 


Lampridius,  who  flourished  about  the  same  time,  in¬ 
forms  us,  that  “Alexander  Severus  tolerated  the  Christ¬ 
ians;  that  he  designed  the  building  a  temple  to  Christ, 
and  receiving  him  into  the  number  of  the  deities,  which 
Adrian  also  is  supposed  to  have  thought  of  before,  who 
ordered  temples  without  images  to  be  erected  in  all  cit¬ 
ies;  which  temples,  at  this  very  time,  because  they  have 
po  deities  in  them,  are  called  Adrian’s.  And  he  is  said 
to  have  prepared  them  for  that  purpose,  but  was  forbid  by 
those  who  consulted  the  oracles;  they  having  found,  that, 
if  that  was  done,  all  men  would  become  Christians,  and 
the  other  temples  would  be  forsaken.” — Lardner,  c.  xxv. 

Again,  speaking  of  Alexander — “  When  he  was  about 
to  appoint  any  to  the  governments  of  provinces,  or  to 
other  like  offices,  he  published  their  names,  inviting  the 
people,  if  they  had  any  crime  to  lay  to  their  charge,  to 
produce  their  evidences;  at  the  same  time  declaring,  that 
if  any  charged  what  he  could  not  prove,  he  should  be 
put  to  death.  And  he  said,  ‘  It  was  a  miserable  thing, 
that  when  the  Christians  and  Jews  observed  this  method 
of  publishing  the  names  of  their  priests  before  they  were 
ordained,  the  like  care  should  not  be  taken  about  the 
governors  of  provinces,  with  whom  the  lives  and  fortunes 
of  men  were  entrusted.’ 

“  When  the  Christians  had  seized  a  spot  of  ground, 
which  was  public,  and,,  on  the  other  hand,  the  victuallers 
said  it  ought  to  be  granted  to  them,  he  gave  this  rescript, 
*  That  it  was  better  that  God  should  be  worshipped  there, 
in  any  manner,  than  that  the  ground  should  be  granted 
to  the' victuallers.’ 

“  He  would  often  use  a  saying,  which  he  had  heard 
from  some  Jews  or  Christians,  and  which  he  well  remem¬ 
bered;  and  when  any  one  was  corrected,  he  ordered  the 
crier  to  proclaim,  ‘  What  you  would  not  have  done  to 
yourself,  that  do  not  you  to  another:’  which  saying  he 
so  highly  esteemed,  that  he  ordered  it  to  be  engraved 
upon  his  palace,  and  upon  public  buildings.” — Lardner y 
c.  xxv. 

57  What  is  the  statement  of  Lampridius? — 58  What  does  he  sayof 
an  usage  of  Alexander  in  appointing  persons  to  office? — 59  What  saying 
is  he  represented  as  often  to  have  used  ? 


80 


CONVERSATIONS  on  the 


Maria.  These  circumstances,  though  interesting,  are 
however  related  by  authors  who  lived  subsequently  to 
the  events. 

Mr.  B.  We  will  ascend,  then,  to  a  more  remote  pe¬ 
riod.  Galen,  blaming  a  person  for  not  giving  a  demon¬ 
stration  of  certain  things  which  he  had  advanced,  says, 
“  So  that  we  seem  rather  to  be  in  a  school  of  Mdses,  or 
Christ,  where  we  must  receive  laws  without  any  reason 
assigned,  and  that  in  a  point  where  demonstration  ought 
not  by  any  means  lo  be  omitted.” — Lardner,  c.  xxi. 

And  elsewhere,  “  It  is  easier  to  convince  the  disciples 
of  Moses  and  Christ,  than  physicians  and  philosophers, 
who  are  addicted  to  particular  sects.” — Lardner,  c.  xxi. 

Contemporary  with  Galen,  were  iElius  Aristides,  and 
Dion  Chrysostom,  who  are  supposed  to  allude  to  the 
-Christians  in  passages  expressive  of  contempt  and  dis-._ 
like  to  a  new  sect  at  variance  with  the  philosophy  and 
religion  of  the  times.  Much  more  important  than  their 
testimony  is  that  of  Lucian,  who  appears  to  have  been 
acquainted,  not  only  with  the  Christians,  but  also  with 
the  book  of  Revelation.  In  one  place  he  speaks  of  them 
along  with  atheists  and  Epicureans,  and  says  that  Pon- 
tus  was  full  of  them.  In  another,  we  have  the  following 
passage,  speaking  of  a  person  named  Peregrinus  : — 
“  At  which  time  he  learned  the  wonderful  doctrine  of  the 
Christians,  by  conversing  with  their  priests  and  scribes 
near  Palestine:  and  in  a  short  time  he  showed  they  were 
but  children  to  him,  for  he  was  prophet,  high  pyiest, 
ruler  of  a  synagogue,  uniting  all  offices  in  himself  alone. 
Some  books  he  interpreted  and  explained,  others  he 
wrote,  and  they  spoke  of  him  as  a  god,  and  took  him  for 
a  lawgiver,  and  honoured  him  with  the  title  of  master. 
They  therefore  still  worship  that  great  man  who  was  cru¬ 
cified  in  Palestine,  because  he  introduced  into  the  world 
this  new  religion.  For  this  reason  Proteus  was  taken 
up  and  put  into  prison,  which  very  thing  was  of  no  small 


60  Under  what  circumstances  is  Galen  introduced ! — 61  What  remarks 
of  his  are  quoted  1 — 62  Who  are  named  as  contemporary  with  Galen,  being 
witnesses  in  this  matter! — 63  What  is  related  of  Lucian! — 64  In  a  long 
quotation  respecting  Peregrinus,  what  is  said  of. his  becoming  a  Christian  1 
— 65  In  this  quotation,  what  is  related  of  Proteus! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


81 


service  to  him  afterwards,  for  giving  reputation  to  his 
impostures,  and  gratifying  his  vanity.  The  Christians 
were  much  grieved  for  his  imprisonment,  and  tried  all 
ways  to  procure  his  liberty.  Not  being  able  to  effect 
that,  they  did  him  all  sorts  of  kind  offices,  and  that,  not 
in  a  careless  manner,  but  with  the  greatest  assiduity: 
for  even  betimes  in  the  morning  there  would  be  at 
the  prison  old  women,  some  widows,  and  also  little 
orphan  children;  and  some  of  the  chief  of  their  men,  by 
corrupting  the  keepers,  would  get  into  prison,  and  stay 
there  the  whole  night  with  him,  and  there  they  had  a 
good  supper  together,  and  their  sacred  discourses.  And 
this  excellent  Peregrinus  (for  so  he  was  still  called)  was 
thought  by  them  to  be  an  extraordinary  person,  no  less 
than  another  Socrates:  even  from  the  cities  of  Asia  some 
Christians  came  to  him,  by  order  of  the  body,  to  relieve, 
encourage,  and  comfort  him;  for  it  is  incredible  what 
expedition  they  use,  wfien  any  of  their  friends  are  known 
to  be  in  trouble.  In  a  word,  they  spare  nothing  upon 
such  an  occasion,  and  Peregrinus’s  chain  brought  him 
a  good  sum  of  money  from  them:  for  these  miserable 
men  have  no  doubt  they  shall  be  immortal,  and  live  for 
ever;  therefore  they  contemn  death,  and  many  surren¬ 
der  themselves  to  sufferings.  Moreover,  their  first  law¬ 
giver  has  taught  them,  that  they  are  all  brethren,  when 
once  they  have  turned  and  renounced  the  gods  of  the 
Greeks,  and  worship  that  master  of  theirs  who  was  cru¬ 
cified,  and  engage  to  live  according  to  his  laws.  They 
have  also  a  sovereign  contempt  for  all  the  things  of  this 
world,  and  look  upon  them  as  common,  and  trust  one 
another  with  them,  without  any  particular  security:  for 
which  reason  any  subtle  fellow,  by  good  management, 
may  impose  upon  these  simple  people,  and  grow  rich 
among  them.  But  Peregrinus  was  set  at  liberty  by  the 
governor  of  Syria,  who  was  a  favourer  of  philosophy; 
who,  perceiving  his  madness,  and  that  he  had  a  mind  to 
die  in  order  to  get  a  name,  let  him  out,  not  judging  him 


66  In  wlmt  manner  is  it  said  that  the  Christians  administered  to  Pere- 
erinus'? — 67  How  are  Christians  in  this  quotation  represented  as  viewing 
death'? — 68  In  what  manner  is  it  said  that  Peregrinus  was  released  from 
prison  1 


82  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 

so  much  as  worthy  of  punishment.” — “Then,”  as  our 
author  says,  “  Peregrinus  returned  to  his  native  place, 
Parium,  in  hopes  of  recovering  his  father’s  estate;  but 
meeting  with  difficulties,  he  made  over  to  the  Parians  all 
the  estate  he  might  expect  from  his  father,  who  then  ex¬ 
tolled  him  as  the  greatest  of  philosophers,  a  lover  of  his 
country,  and  another  Diogenes, r  or  Crates.  He  then 
went  abroad  again,  well  supplied  by  the  Christians  with 
all  travelling  charges,  by  whom  also  he  was  accompani¬ 
ed,  and  he  lived  in  great  plenty.  Thus  it  went  with  him 
for  some  while.  At  length  they  parted,  having  given 
them  also  some  offence,  by  eating,  as  1  suppose,  some  *- 
things  not  allowed  of  by  them.” — Lardner,  c.  xix. 

To  ascend  yet  higher;  in  the  beginning  of  the  second 
century  we  have  the  following  supposed  allusions  to  the 
Christians  in  Epictetus:  “When  we  see  a  man  incon¬ 
stant  to  his  principles,  we  say  he  is  not  a  Jew,  but  only 
pretends  to  be  so;  but  when  he  has  the  temper  of  a  man 
dipped  and  professed,  then  he  is  indeed,  and  is  called  a 
Jew.” — Lardner ,  c.  X. 

The  second  is  more  decisive:  “Is  it  possible  that  a 
man  may  arrive  at  this  temper,  and  become  indifferent 
to  those  things,  from  madness  or  from  habit,  as  the  Gal¬ 
ileans,  and  yet  that  no  one  should  be  able  to  know,  by 
reason  or  demonstration,  that  God  made  all  things  in  the 
world  ?” — Lardner,  c.  x. 

Edward,  This  confirms  the  received  account  of  the 
sufferings  of  the  Christians  to  a  very  early  period,  for 
Epictetus  lived  in  the  time  of  Trajan. 

Mr.  B.  The  two  next  testimonies  are  still  more  im¬ 
portant;  for  they  are  those  of  Trajan  himself,  and  the 
younger  Pliny.  They  have  often  been  referred  to;  and 
it  is  not  easy  to  evade  the  conclusion,  in  favour  of  the 
truth  of  the  Christian  statements,  to  which  they  evident¬ 
ly  lead.  ’ 

“  Pliny  to  Trajan. 

“  It  is  my  constant  custom,  sir,  to  refer  myself  to  you, 

69  What  account  is  subsequently  given  of  him? — 70  What  two  passa¬ 
ges  in  Epictetus  are  supposed  to  relate  to  Christians? — 71  When  did 
Epictetus  live? — 72  What  is  6tated  of  the  testimony  of  Trajan  and  tha 
younger  Pliny? 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


83 

in  all  matters  concerning  which  I  have  any  jdoubt.  For 
who  can  better  direct  me  when  I  hesitate,  or  instruct  me 
when  I  am  ignorant  ?  I  have  never  been'  present  at  any 
trials  of  Christians,  so  that  I  know  not  well  what  is  the 
subject  matter  of  punishment  or  of  inquiry,  or  what  strict¬ 
ness  ought  to  be  required  in  either.  Nor  have  I  been 
a  little  perplexed  to  determine  whether  any  difference 
ought  to  he  made  on  account  of  age,  or  whether  the 
young  and  tender,  and  the  full  grown  and  robust,  ought 
to  be  treated  all  alike;  whether  repentance  should  enti¬ 
tle  to  pardon,  or  whether  all  who  have  once  been  Christ¬ 
ians  ought  to  be  punished,  though  they  are  now  no  longer 
so;  whether  the  name  itself,  although  no  crimes  be  de¬ 
tected,  or  crimes  only  belonging  to  the  name,  ought  to 
be  punished.  Concerning  all  these  things  I  am  in  doubt. 

“  In  the  mean  time,  I  have  taken  this  course  with  all 
who  have*been  brought  before  me,  and  have  been  accused 
as  Christians.  I  have  put  the  question  to  them,  whether 
they  were  Christians  ?  Upon  their  confessing  to  me  that 
they  were,  I  repeated  the  question  a  second  and  a  third 
time,  threatening  also  to  punish  them  with  death.  Such 
as  still  persisted,  I  ordered  away  to  be  punished;  for  it 
was  no  doubt  with  me,  whatever  might  be  the  nature  of 
their  opinion,  that  contumacy  and  inflexible  obstinacy 
ought  to  be  punished.  There  were  others  of  the  same 
infatuation,  whom,  because  they  are  Roman  citizens,  I 
have  noted  down  to  be  sent  to  the  city. 

“In  a  short  time,  -the  crime  spreading  itself,  even 
whilst  under  persecution,  as  is  usual  in  such  cases,  di¬ 
vers  sorts  of  people  came  in  my  way.  An  information 
was  presented  to  me,  without  mentioning  thfe  author, 
containing  the  names  of  many  persons,  who,  upon  exam¬ 
ination,  denied  that  they  were  Christians,  or  ever  had 
been  so;  who  repeated  after  me  an  invocation  of  the 
gods,  and  with  wine  and  frankincense  made  supplication 
to  your  image,  which  for  that  purpose  I  had  caused  to 


73  Concerning  what  particulars  does  Pliny  desire  information  from 
Trajan,  respecting  Christians'? — 74  How  is  it  represented  that  he  treated 
all  that  were  brought  before  him'? — 75  What  does  he  state  of  another  class 
of  persona  brought  before  him,  who  denied  that  they  had  ever  been  Christ¬ 
ians'? 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


B4 

be  brought  and  set  before  them,  together  with  the  stat¬ 
ues  of  the  deities;  moreover,  they  reviled  the  name  of 
Christ:  none  of  which  things,  it  is  said,  they  who  are 
really  Christians  can  by  any  means  be  compelled  to  do. 
These,  therefore,  I  thought  proper  to  discharge.  Oth¬ 
ers  were  named  by  an  informer,  who  at  first  confessed 
themselves  to  be  Christians,  and  afterwards  denied  it. 
The  rest  said  they  had  been  Christians,  but  had  left 
them;  some  three  years  ago,  some  longer,  and  one  or 
more  above  twenty  years.  They  all  worshipped  your 
image,  and  the  statues  of  the  gods:  these  also  reviled 
Christ.  They  affirmed,  that  the  whole  of  their  fault,  or 
error,  lay  in  this;  that  they  were  wont  to  meet  together 
on  a  stated  day,  before  it  was  light,  and  sing  among 
themselves,  alternately,  a  hymn  to  Christ,  as  a  god,  and 
bind  themselves  by  an  oath,  not  to  the  commission  of 
any  wickedness,  but  not  to  be  guilty  of  theft,  or  robbery, 
or  adultery,  never  to  falsify  their  word,  nor  to  deny  a 
pledge  committed  to  them,  when  called  upon  to  return 
it.  When  these  things  were  performed,  it  was  their  cus¬ 
tom  to  separate,  and  then  come  together  again  to  a  meal, 
which  they  eat  in  common,  without  any  disorder:  but 
this  they  had  forborne  since  the  publication  of  my  edict, 
by  which,  according  to  your  commands,  I  prohibited  as¬ 
semblies.  After  receiving  this  account,  I  judged  it  more 
necessary  to  examine,  and  that  by  torture,  two  maid-ser¬ 
vants,  which  were  called  ministers;  but  I  have  discov¬ 
ered  nothing  besides  a  bad  and  excessive  superstition. 
Suspending,  therefore,  all  political  proceedings,  I  have 
recourse  to  you  for  advice;  for  it  has  appeared  unto  me 
a  matter  highly  deserving  consideration,  especially  on 
account  of  the  great  number  of  persons  who  are  in  dan¬ 
ger  of  suffering.  Fy  many  of  all  ages  and  every  rank, 
of  both  sexes  likewise,  are  accused,  and  will  be  accused; 
nor  has  the  contagion  of  this  superstition  seized  cities 
only,  but  the  lesser  towns  also,  and  the  open  country. 
Nevertheless,  it  seems  to  me  that  it  may  be  restrained 

76  What  others  are  named  as  having  been  brought  before  hi  in'? — 77  In 
what  did  one  portion- of  those  accused  say  that  their  fault  consisted'?— L78 
What  does  he  relate  of  two  maid-servants? — 79  Why  was  Pliny  induced- 
•to  suspend  legal  proceedings,  and  apply  to  Trajan  for  advice? 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  85 

and  corrected.  It  is  certain  that  the  temples,  which 
were  almost  forsaken,  begin  to  be  more  frequented;  and 
the  sacred  solemnities,  after  a  long  intermission,  are  re¬ 
vived.  Victims,  likewise,  are  every  where  bought  up; 
whereas  for  some  time  there  were  few  purchasers  ; 
whence  it  is  easy  to  imagine  that  numbers  of  men  might 
be  reclaimed,  if  pardon  were  granted  to  those  who  shall 
repent.” 

“  Trajan  to  Pliny  wishes  health  and  happiness.  You 
have  taken  the  right  method,  my  Pliny,  in  your  proceed¬ 
ings  with  those  brought  before  you  as  Christians;  for  it 
is  impossible  to  establish  any  one  rule,  that  shall  hold 
universally.  They  are  not  to  be  sought  for.  *  If  any  are 
brought  before  you,  and  are  convicted,  they  ought  to  be 
punished.  However,  he  that  denies  being  a  Christian, 
and  makes  it  evident  in  fact,  that  is,  by  supplicating  to 
our  gods,  though  he  be  suspected  to  have  been  so  for¬ 
merly,  let  him  be  pardoned,  upon  repentance.  But  in 
no  case  of  any  crime  whatever  may  a  bill  of  information 
be  received  without  being  signed  by  him  who  presents 
it ;  for  that  would  be  a  dangerous  precedent,  and  unwor¬ 
thy  of  my  government.” — Lardner,  c.  ix. 

Maria.  This  indeed,  is  testimony  ! 

Mr.  B.  As  we  are  now  advancing  to  the  termination 
of  this  part  of  our  inquiries,  I  shall  not  stop  to  make  ob¬ 
servations  on  these  letters  at  present;  but  give  you  the 
last  testimonies  which  I  purpose  to  adduce,  viz.  those  of 
Suetonius  and  Tacitus.  ^The  first  of  these'says,  that  in 
the  reign  of  Nero,  “The  Christians  were  punished;,  a 
sort  of  men  of  a  new  and  magical  superstition.”  And, 
speaking  of  Claudius,  “  He  banished  the  Jews  from 
Rome,  who  were  continually  making  disturbances, 
Chrestus  being  their  leader,” — Lardner,  c.  viii. 

Edward.  The  inaccuracy  as  to  name  and  fact  here 
shows  that  the  Christians  had  not  yet  excited  great  at¬ 
tention  from  their  religion. 


80  How  does  Trajan  to  Plinyl — 81  Wliat  does  Maria  say  to  this  tes¬ 
timony'? — 82  Who  are  the  last  two  authors  here  to  be  given  by  Mr.  B.  as 
witnesses'! — 83  What  does  Suetonius  say? — 84  What  does  he  say  of  Clau¬ 
dius'?  . 


8 


86 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  TIIE 


Mr.  B.  We  now  come  to  the  more  important  testimo¬ 
ny  of  Tacitus  : — “  But  neither  all  human  help,  nor  the 
liberality  of  the  emperor,  nor  all  the  atonements  he  of¬ 
fered  to  the  gods,  availed  to  abate  the  infamy  he  lay 
under  of  having  ordered  the  city  to  be  set  on  fire.  To 
suppress,  therefore,  this  common  rumor,  Nero  procured 
others  to  be  accused,  and  inflicted  exquisite  torments  on 
those  people  who  were  in  abhorrence  for  their  crimes, 
and  were  commonly  known  by  the  name  of  Christians. 
They  had  their  denomination  from  Christus,  who  in  the 
reign  of  Tiberius  was  put  to  death  as  a  criminal,  .by  the 
procurator  Pontius  Pilate.  This  pernicious  superstition, 
though  checked  for  a  time,  broke  out  again,  and  spread 
not  only  over  Judea,  the  source  of  this  evil,  but  reached 
the  city  also,  whither  flow  from  all  quarters  all  things 
vile  and  shameful,  and  where  they  find  shelter  and  en¬ 
couragement.  At  first,  they  only  were  apprehended  who 
confessed  themselves  of  that  sect;  afterwards,  a  vast 
multitude  discovered  by  them:  all  which  were  condemn¬ 
ed,  not  so  much  for  the  crime  of  burning  the  city,  as  for 
their  enmity  to  mankind.  Their  executions  were  so 
contrived  as  to  expose  them  to  derision  and  contempt. 
Some  were  covered  over  with  the  skins  of  wild  beasts, 
and  torn  to  pieces  by  dogs;  some  were  crucified;  others, 
having  been  daubed  over  with  combustible  materials, 
were  set  up  as  lights  in  the  night  time,  and  thus  burned 
to  death.  Nero  made  tise  of  his  own  gardens  as  a  the¬ 
atre  upon  this  occasion,  and  also  exhibited  the  diversions 
of  the  circus;  sometimes  standing  in  the  crowd  as  a 
spectator,  in  the  habit  of  a  charioteer;  sometimes  driv¬ 
ing  a  chariot  himself :  till  at  length  these  men,  though 
really  criminal,  and  deserving  exemplary  punishment, 
began  to  be  commiserated,  as  people  who  were  destroy¬ 
ed,  not  out  of  a  regard  to  the  public  welfare,  but  only  to 
gratify  the  cruelty  of  one  man.” — Lardner,  c.  v. 

To  these  sufferings  of  the  Christians  the  two  poets, 


85  On  what  account  did  Nero  accuse  Christians'? — 86  What  account 
does  Tacitus  give  of  the  origin  of  Christians'? — 87  Why  does  he  say  so 
many  of  them  were  condemned  to  death'? — 88  What  description  does  he 
give  of  their  executions? — 89  What  led  to  a  suspension  of  these  persecu¬ 
tions?. 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHHISTIANITV.  87 

Juvenal  and  Martial,  are  generally  supposed  to  allude. 
The  former  says — 

— • - Now  dare 

To  glance  at  Tigellinus,  and  you  glare 

In  that  pitch’d  sheet  in  which  such  crowds  expire, 

Chain’d  to  the  bloody  stake,  and  wrapp’d  in  fire.” 

Lardner,  c.  vii. 

The  latter,  in  an  epigram,  compares  the  fortitude  of 
the  Christians  with  that  of  Mucius. 

You  will  now,  I  think,  not  refuse  to  acknowledge  the 
truth  of  the  following  conclusions:  but  if  you  have  still 
any  doubts  upon  them,  I  would  refer  you  for  full  proof 
to  Lardner. 

First. — It  appears  a  notorious  and  undeniable  fact,  that 
there  really  did  exist,  at  the  time  he  is  said  to  have  exit¬ 
ed,  an  extraordinary  character,  known  by  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ;  that  it  was  commonly  reported  that  he  had 
performed  many  miracles;  and  that  in  consequence  of 
his  attaching  numerous  followers  to  him,  he  was  put  to 
death;  that  these  followers,  instead  of  being  intimidated 
by  that  event,  asserted  that  he  had  arisen  from  the  dead, 
and,  in  defiance  of  all  opposition,  propagated  this  new 
faith  throughout  the  Roman  empire  with  singular  success. 

!  Secondly. — That  the  Romans  in  general  hated  and  de¬ 
spised  this  new  sect,  and  oppressed  it  to  a  great,  degree; 
but  that  they  were  also  in  a  great  degree  ignorant  of  its 
origin,  its  Founder,  and  its  doctrines;  and  that,  conse¬ 
quently,  though  their  testimony,  as  far  as  it  goes,  is  of 
great  importance  in  confirming  the  statements  of  the 
Christian  writers,  yet  the  want  of  their  testimony  in  other 
particulars  cannot  militate  against,  nor  materially  weak¬ 
en  those  statements. 

Thirdly. — The  opinion  entertained  by  men  thus  prej¬ 
udiced  against  the  Christians,  does  not  in  any  measure 
lead  us  to  believe  that  the  latter  had  any  secular  views 
of  advantage,  directly  or  indirectly;  they  represent  them 

90  What  two  poets  are  supposed  to  alltide  to  these  sufferings  of  the  Christ¬ 
ians? — 91  To  what  does  Martial  compare  their  fortitude? — 92  What  is 
the  first  drawn  by  Mr.  B.  from  the  foregoing  representations?— 93  What 
is  the  second  one? — 94  What  is  the  third  and  last  one  thus  draw.i? 


88 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


as  numerous,  but  not  learned,  polite,  or  prudent.  A 
readiness  to  meet  death,  an  obstinate  perseverance  in 
their  opinions,  and  a  devoted  zeal  in  the  propagation  of 
their  faith,  appear  to  have  characterised  their  public  con¬ 
duct.  Their  private  character  appears  to  have  been 
blameless,  and  even  high,  but  their  doctrines  and  gene¬ 
ral  spirit  utterly  contrary  to  the  opinions  then  prevalent; 
and  that,  consequently,  however  desirous  they  might  be 
to  increase  their  numbers,  they  did  not  do  it  by  an  ap¬ 
pearance  of  agreement  with  any  of  the  numerous  sects 
and  parties  then  existing,  or  by  a  willingness  to  blend 
their  own  sentiments,  or  compromise  their  own  princi¬ 
ples  with  those  of  others. 


CONVERSATION  VI.  . 

Maria.  I  had  no  idea,  previously  to  our  last  conver¬ 
sation,  that  so  many  important  facts,  relative  to  the  his¬ 
tory  of  the  Christian  religion,  could  have  been  estab¬ 
lished  solely  by  the  testimony  of  adversaries.  Has  it 
ever  been  attempted  before? 

Mr.  B.  There  is  a  very  good  French  work,  by  a  learn¬ 
ed  man  of  the  name  of  Bullet,  w7hich  was  translated  into 
English  by  a  Mr.  Salisbury;  but  unfortunately  both  the 
original  and  the  translation  are  very  scarce,  and  their 
authors  little  known,  except  to  those  who  make  a  point 
of  inquiring  into  works  of  this  kind. 

Edward.  Your  references  were  commonly  made  to 
Lardner. 

Mr.  B.  They  were  so,  as  being  better  adapted  for  im¬ 
mediate  reference  than  any  other,  and  on  account  of  the 
reputation  that  author  has  justly  acquired  for  correctness. 

Edward.  It  seems,  however,  that  the  same  facts  made 
a  different  impression  upon  the  mind  of  Gibbon. 

Mr.  B.  They  did;  and  there  is  something  very  re- 


1  With  what  remarks  does  Edward  commence  the  sixth  Conversation! 
—2  What  does  Mr.  B.  say  of  a  French  work  taking  a  similar  view  of  the 
subject'! — 3  Why  does  he  so  much  refer  to  Lardner! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  89 

markable  in  his  infidelity.  We  find  him  confiding  almost 
implicitly  in  the  statements  of  Lardner,  Fabricius,  Tille- 
mont,  and  other  laborious  investigators  into  the  real  his¬ 
tory  of  those  times,  and  treating  Voltaire,  and  others 
like  him,  with  quiet  contempt;  yet  desirous,  when  Christ¬ 
ianity  was  concerned,  of  believing  the  latter  rather  than 
the  former.  Gibbon  has,  in  a  great  measure,  enabled 
us  to  account  for  his  infidelity;  and  the  facts  of  the  case 
remain  unimpeached,  notwithstanding  his  scepticism. 
You  are  both  of  you  aware,  no  doubt,  that  Dr.  Watson 
published  the  “Apology  for  Christianity,”  in  reply  to 
him;  a  work  deservedly  popular.  In  his  reply  to  Da¬ 
vies,  Gibbon  has  made  some  remarks  on  others  of  his 
antagonists,  not  destitute  of  justice;  but  it  is  hardly 
worth  your  while  to  spend  much  time  on  the  controversy. 
In  the  Encyclopaedia  Britannica  you  will  find  an  exam¬ 
ination  of  the  reasons  assigned  by  Mr.  Gibbon  for  the 
success  of  Christianity;  and  in  the  first  chapter  of  Pa- 
ley’s  Evidences,  some  very  judicious  observations  con¬ 
nected  with  the  subject.  1 

Edward.  I  do  not  see  how  it  can  be  denied,  unless  all 
confidence  in  history  be  shaken,  that  Christianity  was  in¬ 
deed  established  at  the  time,  by  the  person,  and  under 
the  circumstances  alleged,  so  far  as  merely  the  ordinary 
course  of  nature  is  concerned:  and  it  appears  certain  that 
the  contemporary  Pagans  regarded  the  professed  belief  of 
the  Christians  as  proceeding  from  conviction;  so  that  I 
would  allow  the  sincerity  as  well  as  the  zeal  of.the  early 
Christians;  but  we  yet  appear  too  far  removed  from  the 
first  century,  to  have  any  certainty  that  what  we  now  call 
Christianity  is  really  the  religion  originally  promulgated 
by  Christ.  It  appears  probable,  that  for  some  time  it  did 
not  excite  such  attention  from  those  without  the  pale  of 
the  church,  as  would  be  a  security  to  us  that  no  material 
alterations,  additions,  or  omissions,  had  been  made  in  it 
from  time  to  time. 


4  What  inconsistency  appears  in  the  conduct  of  Gibbon1? — 5  Does  his 
urbelief  affect  the  facts  in  the  case? — 6  What  is  said  of  Watson’s  Apology 
for  Christianity?---?  In  what  works  is  an  allusion  to  this  subject?-— 8 
Wh&U  does  Edward  think  cannot  now  be  denied?— 9  But  of  what  does  he 
think  we  have  certainty? 

8* 


* 


90 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


Maria.  It  is  even  to  this  day  disputed  what  is  Christ¬ 
ianity,  among  those  who  profess  it;  and  the  answer,  that 
it  is  the  religion  founded  by  Jesus  Christ,  is  not  suffi¬ 
cient. 

Mr.  B.  It  is -only  part  of  the  answer  which  is  requi¬ 
site:  and  I  add,  therefore,  that  Christianity  is  the  reli¬ 
gion  taught  in  the  New  Testament. 

Maria.  But  do  all  Christians  allow  this? 

Mr.  B.  I  think  I  may  say  it  is  universally  allowed; 
but  from  the  multitudes  of  sects  now  existing,  which  as¬ 
sume  the  Christian  name,  it  is  not  in  my  power  positively 
to  assert  the  fact.  I  can,  however,  do  what  is  of  more 
importance;  I  can  prove  that  from  the  earliest  times  this 
has  been  the  case  with  regard  to  the  great  mass  of  Christ¬ 
ians;  and  as  the  nature  of  the  subject  evidently  prevents 
the  possibility  of  proving  more,  this  ought  to  be  sufficient. 

Edward.  It  will  be  quite  sufficient. 

Mr.  B.  In  the  first  place,  then,  I  must  observe,  that 
though  we  have  some  information  on  the  subject  from  the 
adversaries  of  Christianty,  we  must  of  course  look  to  the 
Christian  writers  for  the  knowledge  of  what,  in  their 
time,  was  regarded  as  constituting  the  sum  and  substance 
of  the  Christian  religion  :  and  having  established  the 
great  facts  of  the  existence  of  Christianity,  at  different 
periods,  and  under  peculiar  circumstances,  from  the  tes¬ 
timony  of  enemies  alone,  I  am  certainly  at  liberty  to  ar¬ 
gue  from  thence,  in  order  to  account  for  any  deficiency 
of  their  testimony  in  other  respects.  Now  when  we  find 
the  religion  in  question  despised  and  treated  as  madness, 
looked  upon  as  the  offspring  of  excessive  credulity,  and 
regarded  as  unworthy  the  attention  of  sensible  men,  you 
cannot  be  surprised  that  its  enemies  should  not  be  ac¬ 
quainted  with  its  authentic  documents,  and  that  they 
should  give  us  little  information  on  the  subject. 

Edward.-  From  those  who  more  particularly  attacked 
it  in  their  writings,  we  might,  however,  expect  more. 


10  What  does  Mr.  B.  say  that  Christianity  is  1 — 11  What  will  he  at- 
tempt  to  prove  in  relation  to  this  position  1 — 12  What  does  he  in  the  first 
place  observe  1 — 13  How  will  he  then  proceed  — 14  On  what  account  is 
it  rational  to  conclude  that  the  enemies  of  Christianity  would  know  but 
little  of  its  real  nature  1 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY. 


91 


Mr.  B.  We  might,  and  here  we  have;  for  Julian,  Por¬ 
phyry,  and  Celsus,  do  confirm  not  only  the  existence  of 
the  New  Testament,  at  the  periods  in  which  they  wrote, 
but  even  direct  their  attacks  against  its  statements  and 
reasonings,  as  being  the  great  foundation  of  Christianity. 

Maria.  This  would  establish  the  fact  of  its  being  gen¬ 
erally  regarded  as  one  of  the  statements  on  which  Christ¬ 
ianity  rested,  but  not  as  being  the  only  one. 

Mr.  B.  But  as  their  attacks  do  not  extend  to  any  other, 
we  cannot  infer  even  the  existence  qf  any  other,  as  re¬ 
ceived  by  the  Christians,  as  of  authority  among  them; 
and  by  the  works  of  Christian  writers  we  may  prove  that 
no  other  was  then  so  received. 

Edward.  Will  you  then  establish  that  point? 

Mr.  B.  We  may  divide  the  Christian  world  into  four 
great  classes — the  Protestant,  the  Roman,  the  Greek, 
and  the  Oriental  churches.  I  need  hardly  remind  you  . 
that  the  Bible,  and  consequently  the  New  Testament, 
is  the  basis  of  the  religion  of  Protestants;  and  you  will 
easily  ascertain,  by  referring  to  the  decrees  of  councils 
and  confessions  of  faith,  that  the  same  is  true  of  the  other 
churches,  though  they  have,  in  the  course  of  time,  made 
additions  unknown  to  the  Christians  of  an  earlier  period. 
Let  us  then  advance  to  those  regions  where  Christianity 
was  first  established,  and  ascend  to  those  times  in  which 
it  may  be  reasonably  supposed  to  have  existed  in  greater 
purity. 

Maria.  But  what  is  the  New  Testament?  How  would 
you  define  it,  relatively  to  this  inquiry? 

Mr.  B.  The  New  Testament  is  a  collection  of  writ¬ 
ings  purporting  to  give  an  account  of  the  life  and  doc¬ 
trine  of  the  Founder  of  Christianity,  and  other  important 
documents  relative  to  his  religion,  which  has  in  all  ages 
been  regarded  by  Christians  as  sacred,  and  of  Divine 
authority. 

Maria.  That  sacred  writings  should  exist,  is  probable 


15  In  what  wav  do  Julian,  Porphyry,  and  Celsus  make  an  exception'! 
— 16  What  does  Mr.  B.  in  reply  to  Maria,  say  cannot  be  inferred! — 17 
Into  what  four  classes  does  he  divide  the  Christian  world  ! — 18  How  do 
these  different  classes  of  Christians  view  the  Bible  1—19  What  is  the  New 

TesUuueul  defined  to  be  1 


92 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


from  most  religions  having  had  such;  that  such  did  ex¬ 
ist,  is  also  probable,  from  the  objections  of  the  adversa¬ 
ries  of  Christianity  being  directed  against  particular 
statements  and  doctrines;  but  that  those  which  are  now 
regarded  as  such  were  the  same,  can  only  be  established 
by  a  complete  chain  of  testimony  from  that  time  to  this. 
Can  such  be  produced? 

Mr.  B.  It  can.  The  objections  of  Julian  and  others 
clearly  identify  the  writings  against  which  they  directed 
their  attacks  with  those  now  reverenced  by  Christians. 
Our  manuscripts  of  the  New  Testament  reach*  at  least, 
to  the  fifth  century,  if  not  higher;  and  we  can  both  prove 
the  existence  of  sacred  writings  among  the  primitive 
Christians,  and  identify  ours  with  theirs.  According  to 
the  best  accounts  we  have,  (Pagan  and  Christian),  the 
four  great  cities,  from  which  this  religion  spread  itself 
into  all  parts,  were  Antioch,  Alexandria,  Rome,  and 
Constantinople;  the  destruction'  of  Jerusalem  having,  at 
an  early  period,  deprived  it  of  the  importance  otherwise 
due  to  it  as  the  mother  church.  But  our  manuscripts 
of  the  New  Testament  are  traced  to  these  sources;  and 
beyond  the  time  to  which  these  manuscripts  reach,  we 
have  other  means  of  continuing  the  chain  of  evidence  to 
the  earliest  periods. 

Maria.  But  if  the  New  Testament  be  a  collection  of 
writings,  there  must  have  been  a  time  when  those  writ¬ 
ings  were  not  collected.  How  far,  then,  can  you  trace 
the  New  Testament,  as  an  authoritative  collection?  and 
what  possessed  authority  before  the  time  of  the  collect 
tion  being  made? 

Mr.  B.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  fourth  century  there 
appears  no  reason  to  doubt,  that  the  collection  now  ad¬ 
mitted  as  of  authority,  was  then  so  esteemed  universally, 
(or  with  very  slight  exceptions,  which  do  not  affect  the 
main  argument  as  to  the  truth  of  Christianity.)  At  the 
conclusion  of  the  third  century,  you  will  recollect,  that 


20  What  does  Maria  say  is  probable;  and  what  question  does  she  ask! 
—21  How  far  back  can  our  manuscripts  of  the  New  Testament  be  traced! 
— 22  To  what  four  sources  can  they  be  traced  1 — 23  What  question  does 
Maria  ask  concerning  the  New  Testament  as  an  authoritative  collection! 
—24  What  is  said  of  it  at  the  conclusion  of  the  fourth  century  1 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  93 

the  contest  between  Paganism  and  Christianity  was  very 
violent,  and  that,  from  the  known  state  of  the  Christian 
world,  as  ascertained  from  our  former  examination,  it 
would  be  very  improbable  that  all  parts  of  it  should  be 
strictly  in  union  with  each  other  as  to  the  details  of 
Christianity,  though  they  would  probably  agree  in  the 
main.  We  also  learn  from  the  Christian  oontemporary 
writers,  that  in  the  last  persecutions  their  sacred  writ¬ 
ings  were  more  particularly  sought  for  and'  destroyed. 
From  the  degree  to  which  the  Christians  were  scattered 
over  the  empire,  it  is  also  probable,  that  the  collections 
in  all  cases  might  not  be  complete;  and  if  the  reverence 
paid  to  these  writings  depended  upon  the  credit  due  to 
their  authors  (a  supposition  extremely  probable  in  itself,) 
it  seems  not  unlikely  that  some  parts  would  be  only  par¬ 
tially  received  for  a  time.  Now  let  us  examine  into  the 
facts  of  the  case.  Augustine,  in  the  fourth  century, 
speaks  of  the  Scriptures  being  read  publicly  in  the 
churches  as  of  authority.  Cyprian  in  the  third  of  the 
same;  Tertullian'and  Justin  in  the  second  of  the  same. 

Maria.  The  publicity  which  was  given  to  them  is  some 
security  for  their  preservation  in  the  same  state. 

Mr.  B.  These  writings  were  also  held  in  the  very 
highest  estimation:  Cyprian  calls  them  Books  of  the  Spi¬ 
rit,  Divine  Fountains,  Fountains  of  the  Divine  Fulness.  In 
the  preceding  century,  Theophilus  designates  them  as 
the  Evangelic  Voice ;  Clement  of  Alexandria,  as  Sacred 
Books,  Divine  Scriptures,  Divinely  Inspired  Scriptures, 
Scriptures  of  the  Lord,  the  True  Evangelical  Canon ;  Ire- 
noeus  also,  as  Divine  Scriptures,  Divine  Oracles,  Scrip¬ 
tures  of  the  Lord,  Evangelic  and  Apostolic  Writings ;  and 
not  to  mention  the  additional  testimonies  of  Dionysius, 
bishop  of  Corinth,  and  Justin  Polycarp,  whose  own  writ¬ 
ings  have  the  greatest  weight,  as  living  immediately  after 


25  At  the  conclusion  of  the  third  century,  what  took  place? — 26  What 
do  we  also  learn  from  Christian  contemporary  writers'! — 27  What  is  said 
of  the  Scriptures  in  the  fourth,  third,  and  second  centuries,  by  Augustine, 
Cyprian,  Tertullian,  and  Justin'? — 28  What  does  Maria  suppose  would 
have  tended  to  preserve  them  in  the  same  state? — 29  What  do  Cyprian, 
Theophilus,  and  Clement,  respectively  designate  them  to  bel-r-30  What 
does  Irenaeus  call  ther1 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


94 

the  apostolic  times,  quotes  them  as  the  Oracles  of  the 
Lord,  and  as  the  Holy  Scriptures. 

Edward.  But  these  testimonies  only  prove  the  exist¬ 
ence  of  Sacred  Scriptures;  they  do  not  identify  them 
with  ours. 

Mr.  B.  But  in  addition,  the  quotations  they  give  from 
the  books  they  thus  speak  of,  at  least  prove  that  our  Sa¬ 
cred  Scriptures  contain  the  same  which  their  Sacred 
Scriptures  did,  and  therefore  there  is  a  very  great  prob¬ 
ability  that  they  are  the  same. 

Maria.  How  high  is  the  collected  body  of  writings 
known  under  the  name  of  the  New  Testament  thus  trac-  • 
ed  up? 

Mr.  B.  Origen  is  the  first  who  makes  use  of  the  ex¬ 
pression;  but  it  was  probably  used  before  his  time;  and 
the  collection  is  generally  acknowledged  to  have  been 
made  at  the  end  of  the  first  century.  We  trace  its  col¬ 
lected  form  also  in  versions,  the  earliest  of  which,  the 
Syriac,  was  made  about  that  period.  You  must  then 
observe,  that  these  Sacred  writings  were  received  as  of 
authority,  in  all  places  where  Christianity  was  embraced, 
by  all  who  bore  the  Christian  name;  they  were  regarded 
as  possessing  an  authority  to  which  no  other  writings 
could  pretend:  as  such  they  were  publicly  explained; 
translated  into  various  languages;  harmonised  and  com¬ 
mented  upon;  and  in  all  respects,  both  by  friends  and 
foes,  regarded  as  the  foundation  of  Christianity. 

Maria.  But  why  was  this  regard  paid  to  them? 

Mr.  B.  Because  they  were  universally  believed  to  be 
the  productions  of  the  first  and  chosen  disciples  of  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord,  and  by  his  followers  were  also  regard¬ 
ed  as  divinely  inspired. 

Maria.  Then  it  must  be  of  the  greatest  importance  to 
be  quite  certain,  that  all  the  books,  in  our  collection,  are 
the  same  as  all  the  books  in  theirs  ? 

Mr.  B.  It  is  so;  for  if  not,  we  can  neither  prove  nor 


31  What  only  does  Edward  say  that  these  authors  prove  1 — 32  How 
does  Mr.  B.  reply  to  this! — 33  How  early  were  these  collected  writings 
known  under  the  name  of  the  New  Testament  ! — 34  What  is  to  be  observ¬ 
ed,  as  to  the  manner  in  which  these  sacred  writings  were  received! — 3$ 
Why  was  this  regard  paid  to  them! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


95 

disprove  the  truth  of  Christianity;  and  to  this  inquiry  we 
must  therefore  proceed:  and  being  certain  they  had  col¬ 
lections  of  sacred  writings,  we  must  examine  whether 
ours  are  the  same ;  or,  in  other  words,  inquire  into  the 
canon  of  the  New  Testament,  and  its  integrity. 

Maria.  What  is  the  meaning  of  the  words  canon  and 
integrity  ? 

Mr.  B.  The  word  canon  signifies,  in  the  writings  of 
the  fathers  of  the  third  and  fourth  centuries,  a  list,  or 
catalogue,  though  its  primary  meaning  is  a  rule.  Bish¬ 
op  Marsh’s  definition  is,  “  Canonical  books  signify  those 
which  were  admitted  by  public  authority  into  the  cata¬ 
logue  of  writings  destined  for  the  service  of  the  church.” 
— Notes  to  Michaelis,  vol.  i.  p.  376. 

You  must  not  attach  any  further  sense  to  the  word 
than  this.  The  inquiry  into  the  integrity  of  the  New 
Testament  relates  to  the  portions  of  the  different  books 
thus  esteemed  canonical,  that  we  may  be  certain  we  have 
got  the  same  books,  in  the  same  state  in  which  they  were 
originally  published. 

Maria.  And  how  is  this  determined? 

Mr.  B.  By  historical  inquiry  and  criticism. 

Maria.  I  thought  criticism  had  related  to  the  com¬ 
menting  on  books? 

Mr.  B.  Sacred  criticism  is  now  restricted  to  ascer¬ 
taining  the  text  of  the  author,  and  the  interpretation  of 
Scripture  made  a  distinct  branch,  on  account  of  the  great 
importance  of  each. 

Edivard.  Before  you  proceed,  let  me  be  quite  certain 
that  I  understand  the  different  portions  of  the  argument 
which  you  are  now  developing.  If  I  understand  you 
aright,  it  is  as  follows:  Christianity  is  said  by  its  advo¬ 
cates  to  be  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ,  as  contained  in 
the  New  Testament,  which  is  a  collection  of  documents 
professing  to  be  written  by  his  first  disciples,  and  on  that 


36  What  is  the  great  inquiry  now  to  be  made? — 37  What  is  the  mean¬ 
ing  of  the  word  canon,  according  to  Mr.  B.? — 38  In  the  quotation  given, 
what  is  the  meaning  of  the  expression,  canonical  books'? — 39  How  does 
Mr.  B.  apply  the  term  integrity? — 40  Flow  is  this  determined? — 41  To 
what  is  sacred  criticism  now  restricted? — 42  How  does  Edward  under* 
stand  different  portions  of  the  argument? 


96 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


account  now  held  to  be  of  the  highest  authority.  From 
historical  evidence,  we  find  that  this  religion  was  found¬ 
ed  by  Jesus  Christ,  and  that  his  followers  in  all  ages 
have  possessed  documents  of  this  nature.  It  remains  to 
be  proved  that  these  writings  which  we  possess,  are  the 
same  which  the  first  Christians  possessed,  and  of  which 
they  asserted  the  authority  .  If  that  can  be  established, 
we  then  shall  have  decided  what  Christianity  is,  and  shall 
be  enabled  to  examine  its  claims  to  a  Divine  origin. 

Mr.  B.  You  are  correct;  and  we  will  therefore  pro¬ 
ceed  to  examine  the  evidence  which  is  adduced  to  prove 
these  assertions.  And  first,  it  is  necessary  to  state,  that 
the  New  Testament  we  have,  consists  of  the  following 
books: 

One  Gospel,  or  account  of  Christ,  ascribed  to  Mat¬ 
thew. 

One  Gospel  ascribed  to  Mark. 

One  Gospel,  and  a  Continuation,  ascribed  to  Luke. 

One  Gospel,  a  general  epistle,  and  two  private  epis¬ 
tles,  and  a  book  of  prophecies,  professing  to  be  by 
John. 

Thirteen  epistles,  professing  to  be  by  Paul,  and  one 
without  name,  ascribed  to  him. 

Two  epistles  by  Peter. 

One  epistle  by  James. 

One  epistle  by  Jude. . 

So  that,  in  all,  we  have  eight  authors,  and  twenty- 
seven  books. 

•  All  these  are  alleged  to  have  existed,  and  to  have  been 
generally  known  from  the  first  century,  and  to  have  been 
received  as  of  authority,  wherever  they  were  known,  as 
soon  as  it  was  ascertained  or  believed  that  they  were  the 
productions  of  the  persons  whose  names  they  bear.  Now 
in  the  third  and  fourth  centuries,  we  have  no  less  than 
twelve  catalogues  of  the  books  then  received  in  the 
Christian  world  as  of  authority.  * 


43  What  does  he  say  remains  to  be  proved! — 44  What  are  the  first  four 
books  in  the  New  Testament! — 45  What  other  books  does  it  contain! — 
46  What  is  alleged  of  all  these  books! — 47  In  the  third  and  fourth  cen¬ 
tury,  what  catalogues  of  the  books,  then  received  in  the  Christian  world, 
existed! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


97 


Their  authors  are  as  follow:  a. d. 

1.  Origen,  Presbyter  of  Alexandria . 4.  210 

2.  Eusebius,  Bishop  of  Cesarea . 315 

3.  Athanasius,  Bishop  of  Alexandria . 315 

4.  Cyril,  Bishop  of  Jerusalem  . . 340 

5.  Bishops  at  Council  of  Laodicea . . 364 

6.  Epiphanius,  Bishop  of  Salamis . .  370 

7.  Gregory  Naz.  Bishop  of  Constantinople  .  .  .  375 

8.  Philastrius,  Bishop  of  Brixia . 380 

9.  Jerome . 382 

0.  Rufinus,  Presbyter  of  Aquileia . 390 

11.  Augustine,  Bishop  of  Hippo . 394 

12.  Forty-four  Bishops  at  Council  of  Carthage  .  - 

Of  these  twelve,  five,  viz.  those  of  Athanasius,  Epi¬ 
phanius,  Rufinus,  Augustine,  and  that  of  the  Council  of 
Carthage,  are  precisely  the  same  as  ours;  and  to  these 
may  be  added  three  more,  viz.  those  of  Origen,  Euse¬ 
bius,  and  Jerome;  but  their  accounts  will  require  more 
particular  consideration.  The  remaining  four  omit  the 
book  of  Revelation;  and  that  of  Philastrius  only  has 
thirteen  instead  of  fourteen  epistles  of  St.  Paul,  proba¬ 
bly  omitting  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews. 

Maria.  What  are  the  peculiarities  of  the  statements 
of  Origen,  Eusebius,  and  Jerome? 

Mr.  B.  Origen  omits  the  epistles  of  James  and  Jude 
in  his  catalogue,  but  owns  them  bqj;h  in  other  parts  of 
his  writings. 

Eusebius  speaks  of  the  book  of  Revelation  as  being 
rejected  by  some,  but  retained  by  others;  and  with  re¬ 
gard  to  the  other  books,  makes  a  distinction  between 
those  which  had  always  been  universally  received,  and 
those  which  had  for  a  time  been  only  generally  acknowF 
edged. 

Jerome  speaks  of  doubt  as  attached  by  some  to  the 
Epistle  to  the  Hebrews.  Upon  the  statements  of  each 
of  them  I  shall  hereafter  make  some  observations;  but 
the  whole  is  now  presented  to  your  view  at  once,'  that 
you  may  see  the  uniformity  of  opinion  which  prevailed 

48  How  many  of  them  were  like  ours! — 49  How  did  the  others  com¬ 
pare  with  oars'! — 60  What  are  the  peculiarities  in  the  statements  of  Ori¬ 
gen  and  Eusebius  1 — 61  What  is  said  of  that  of  Jcromel 

9 


98 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


during  these  two  centuries,  throughout  the  Christian 
world,  as  to  these  books;  for  we  cannot  argue  from  the 
omission  of  the  book  of  Revelation,  in  some'  of  their  cat¬ 
alogues,  to  its  not  being  of  authority;  for  we  know,  that 
in  the  church  of  England,  this  very  book  is  esteemed  ca¬ 
nonical,  but  is  omitted  in  the  regular  public  reading  of 
the  Scriptures;  and  there  appears  no  reason  to  doubt, 
that  the  peculiar  nature  of  the  work  was  the  reason  of  its 
omission  in  the  instances  before  us. 

Maria.  Admitting  this,  which  certainly  is  not  improb¬ 
able,  the  agreement  is  decisive,  as  to  the  authority  of 
books  bearing  the  names  of  ours;  for  I  observed,  that 
the  writers  lived  in  places  widely  apart  from  each  other. 

Edward.  Their  names  also -are  of  the  highest  author¬ 
ity.  I  recollect  most  of  them  in  Gibbon;  and  several 
were  decidedly  opposed  to  each  other;  so  that  I  think 
there  can  be  no  doubt  that  these  books  really  were  then 
received. 

Mr.  B.  From  the  wide  extension  of  Christianity,  and 
the  uniformity  of  opinion  respecting  nearly  all  these 
books,  we  may  certainly  conclude,  that  the  general  dis¬ 
semination  of  them  must  have  been  effected  some  time. 
From  the  difference  in  opinion  which  existed,  we  may 
be  assured,  that  there  was  no  collusion  in  the  case:  and 
from  the  talents  and  learning  of  those  who  give  us  these 
lists,  we  may  also  xefly  upon  them  as  not  having  imposed 
only  upon  the  unwary  and  unskilful:  but  this  is  not  all; 
the  very  disagreement  which  subsists  between  these  lists, 
with  regard  to  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  and  the  book 
of  Revelation,  is  of  considerable  importance;  for  it  is  re¬ 
markable,  that  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  was  only 
doubted  of  in  the  countries  most  remote  from  the  people 
to  whom  it  was  addressed,  and  by  those  least  qualiiied 
to  decide  upon  it.  The  Roman  church  did  not  receive 
it,  but  Jerome  did:  and  his  reason  for  it  is,  that  in  so 


,52  What  allusion  is  made  to  the  usagEs  of  the  Church  of  England,  in 
relation  to  the  book  of  Revelation? — 53  What  expression  of  assent  does 
Maria  here  make,  to  the  argument  of  Mr.  B.1 — 54  What  does  Mr.  B.  say 
we  may  certainly  conclude1? — 55  What  inference  does  he  draw  from  the 
difference  of  opinion  on  these  matters'! — 56  What  does  he  say  is  remark¬ 
able  in  relation  to  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  and  the  book  ol  Revelation! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


99 


doing  he  followed  the  example  of  those  of  an  eatlier  pe¬ 
riod.  Only  the  writings  of  the  apostles  and  evangelists 
were  admitted  into  this  canon;  and  this  epistle  having 
no  name  attached  to  it,  those  who  lived  in  Italy  might 
reasonably  doubt,  when  the  Christians  in  the  East,  who 
had  received  it  from  their  fathers  as  the  work  of  St.  Paul, 
did  not  hesitate;  and  Jerome,  who  was  well  acquainted 
with  the  East,  and  had  studied  the  subject  thoroughly, 
is  to  us  far  greater  authority  than  the  bishop  of  Brixia, 
or  the  inhabitants  of  Italy  of  that  period. 

Maria.  But  the  book  of  Revelation  is  omitted  in  the 
catalogues  of  those  who  lived  in  the  East,  tvhilst  it  is 
admitted  in  the  West. 

Mr.  B.  The  reason  of  its  omission,  in  the  first  in¬ 
stance,  I  have  before  given:  the  reason  of  its  appearing, 
in  the  second,  probably  arose  from  the  authority  of  Ire- 
naeus,  bishop  of  Lyons,  who  was  the  pupil  of  Polycarp, 
the  disciple  of  St.  John,  and  who  expressly  assigns  it  to 
him. 

Edward.  What  are  the  books  mentioned  by  Eusebius 
as  having  been  only  generally  received  for  a  time? 

Mr.  B.  The  Epistle  of  St.  James,  the  2d  of  St.  Peter, 
and  the  2d  and  3d  of  St.  John,  and  that  of  St.  Jude. 

Maria.  These  form  but  a  very  small  portion  of  the 
New  Testament,  as  now  received. 

Mr.  B.  Were  it  necessary,  we  might  establish  the 
truth  of  Christianity  without  their  aid:  but  the  situation 
of  the  Christians,  during  the  times  of  the  persecutions, 
sufficiently  accounts  for  the  non-universality  of  the  re¬ 
ception  of  these  documents.  The  caution  of  the  church¬ 
es,  in  not  receiving  rashly  any  thing  to  which  they  gave 
supreme  authority,  is  good  security  to  us,  in  that  they 
would  not  ultimately  have  received  them,  but  from  con¬ 
viction. 

Maria.  It  might  naturally  be  expected,  that  when  the 
Christians  regarded  these  Scriptures  as  divinely  inspir- 


57  How  is  this  illustrated'? — 58  What  does  Mr.  B.  say  of  the  book  of 
Revelation,  in  reply  to  Maria? — 59  What  are  the  books  named  by  Euse¬ 
bius,  as  having  been  only  generally  received  for  a  time? — 60  What  does 
Mr.  B.  say,  as  to  the  reason  why  these  documents  were  not  at  first  univer¬ 
sally  received? — 61  What  does  Maria  say  to  this? 


100 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


ed,  they  would  be  very  cautious  what  books  they  put 
into  the  number. 

Mr.  B.  Undoubtedly  ;  for  these  Scriptures  were  to 
them  the  rule  of  life;  and  the  third  century  was  not  a 
time  for  persons  to  be  indifferent  as  to  the  writings  on 
which  their  hopes  were  founded.  Origen  is  not  only  re¬ 
markable  for  his  superior  learning;  he  suffered,  as  well 
as  wrote  in  defence  of  Christianity — and  his  father  had 
been  put  to  death  for  it;  so  that  there  was  every  motive 
for  the  son  to  take  the  utmost  care  not  to  be  imposed 
upon  by  records  assuming  the  authority  which  these  do. 
He  also  could  hardly  be  deceived,  on  account  of  his  su¬ 
perior  attainments  and  peculiar  advantages;  and  so  far 
was  he  from  implicitly  following  the  opinions  of  others, 
that  he  was  severely  censured  for  the  freedom  in  which 
he  indulged.  His  authority,  therefore,  as  well  as  that 
of  Eusebius  and  Jerome,  who  were  well  qualified  to  de¬ 
termine  the  truth,  extends  not  merely  to  his  own  time, 
but  to  that  before  it;  and  if  we  have  not,  in  the  second 
century,  regular  catalogues,  like  those  we  have  already 
adduced,  for  the  fourth  and  third,  we  are  not  thence  to 
conclude  that  the  collection  was  not  formed — for  their 
testimony  implies  more;  we  can  only  infer,  that  it  was 
not  then  customary  (most  probably,  because  not  neces¬ 
sary)  to  make  out  particular  lists;  for  we  find  nearly  all 
these  books  named,  though  not  in  formal  catalogues,  as 
having  this  high  authority,  by  Tertullian,  by  Clement, 
who  preceded  Origen  at  Alexandria,  and  by  Irenaeus, 
bishop  of  Lyons,  a  man  singularly  well  qualified  to  de¬ 
termine  the  question,  from  his  connexion  with  Polycarp. 

Maria.  And  do  these  mention  all  the  books? 

Mr.  B.  Not  all;  for  they  only  mention  and  quote  them 
as  their  subjects  required:  but  we  have  very  little  left  to 
desire.  Tertullian,  the  most  ancient  of  the  Latin  fa¬ 
thers,  names  and  quotes  the  Four  Gospels,  and  the  Acts 
of  the  Apostles,  as  the  work  of  Matthew,  Mark,  Luke, 


62  What  does  Mr.  B.  say  of  Origen,  and  of  his  father! — 63  What  com¬ 
parison  is  made  between  him,  and  Eusebius,  and  Jerome! — 64  What  does 
Mr.  B.  say  of  the  testimony  upon  the  point  in  question,  as  found  in  the 
second  century! — 65  What  does  Tertullian  say  of  the  books  of  the  New 
Testament! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANlTT. 


101 

and  John.  Of  the  Epistles  of  St.  Paul  he  expresses  no 
doubt,  except  on  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  which  he 
ascribes  to  Barnabas.  He  does  not  quote  the  short 
Epistle  to  Philemon,  the  2d  Epistle  of  St.  Peter,  and  the 
2d  and  3d  of  John;  and  it  is  doubtful  whether  he  quotes 
St.  James.  Clement  of  Alexandria  had  travelled  through 
the  countries  in  which  the  books  of  the  New  Testament 
are  said  to  have  been  first  published;  and,  living  near 
to  the  apostolic  times,  there  can  be  no  doubt  he  had  the 
amplest  means  of  knowing  the  truth.  He  had  also  been 
educated  in  the  Greek  philosophy,  and  was  little  likely 
to  have  submitted  himself  to  the  authority  of  the  New 
Testament,  without  full  conviction  of  the  justice  of  its 
pretensions.  His  character,  his  learning,  the  time  and 
place  of  his  birth,  and  the  events  of  his  life,  add  great 
weight  to  his  testimony,  which  is  singularly  full.  The 
fragments  of  his  works,  which  remain,  contain  numerous 
quotations  from  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts  of  the  Apos¬ 
tles.  The  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  he  expressly  ascribes 
to  St.  Paul;  and  leaves  only  one  of  that  apostle’s  epis¬ 
tles  unquoted,  viz.  the  Epistle  to  Philemon;  which,  from 
its  brevity  and  private  nature,  was  not  at  all  likely  to  be 
quoted  in  the  subjects  on  which  he  wrote.  He  quotes 
also  the  Epistle  of  St.  James,  the  1st  of  St.  Peter,  the 
1st  of  St.  John,  the  Epistle  of  St.  Jude,  and  the  book  of 
Revelation. 

Maria.  He  has  only  then  left  unquoted  that  to  Phile¬ 
mon,  the  2d  of  St.  Peter,  and  the  2d  and  3d  of  St.  John. 

Mr.  B.  The  last  writer  necessary  to  be  mentioned  is’ 
Irenneus,  who  was  of  Greek  origin,  and  probably  born 
before  the  conclusion  of  the  first  century.  We  have  his 
testimony  to  the  four  Gospels,  to  the  Acts  of  the  Apos¬ 
tles,  to  the  Epistles  to  the  Romans,  Corinthians,  Gala¬ 
tians,  Ephesians,  Philippians,  Colossians,  Thessaloni- 
ans,  Timothy,  and  Titus,  duly  ascribed  to  their  reputed 
author.  He  has  no  quotations  from  the  Epistle  to  Phil¬ 
emon,  probably  from  the  same  cause  which  in  other  cases 


66  Of  the  character  of  Clement  of  Alexandria,  what  is  said! — 67  What 
mention  is  made,  in  the  fragments  of  his  writings,  of  the  books  of  the  New 
Testament! — 68  What  books  has  he  left  unquoted!- — 69  Who  was  Irenae- 
ms! — 70  What  books  has  he  left  unquoted! 

9* 


J02  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 

prevented  it;  and  none  from  that  to  the  Hebrews,  for 
which  we  have  a  sufficient  reason;  for  those  against 
whom  he  wrote  were  members  of  the  Latin  church,  which 
had  not  then  admitted  it,  and  he  consequently  could  not 
adduce  its  authority  against  them.  He  also  quotes  the 
Epistle  of  St.  James,  both  the  Epistles  of  St.  Peter,  and 
the  1st  and  2d  of  St.  John.  The  last  of  St.  John,  and 
that  of  St.  Jude,  he  does  not  quote,  apparently  from  not 
requiring  them  in  the  controversies  in  which  he  was  en¬ 
gaged.  Lastly,  as  was  before  mentioned,  he  gives  the 
fullest  testimony  to  the  book  of  Revelation,  composed 
by  St.  John,  the  apostle  and  evangelist. 

Edward.  This  brings  us  to  the  age  succeeding  that 
assigned  to  the  writers  themselves;  so  that  little  more 
testimony  can  be  needed. 

Mr.  B.  There  is  additional  evidence,  but  it  is  not  ne¬ 
cessary  for  what  I  wish  to  establish.  The  writers  who 
occupy  the  short  remaining1  period,  are  called  the  apos¬ 
tolic  fathers,  from  their  having  been  contemporaries  of 
the  reputed  writers  of  these  books.  Their  works  only 
enable  us  to  prove  the  existence  of  material  portions  of 
the  books  in  question;  for  they  do  not  quote  them  as  the 
writers  already  considered  were  in  the  habit  of  doing; 
so  that  there  are  but  very  few  of  the  books  whose  au¬ 
thority  can  be  established  by  them,  as  the  Epistle  to  the 
Corinthians. 

Edward.  It  seems,  then,  that  we  may  divide  the  his¬ 
tory  of  the  New  Testament  into  three  periods:  the  first, 
that  in  which  it  was  written  and  published;  the  second, 
that  in  which  it  was  collected;  and  the  third,  that  in 
which  it  was  received  as  of  authority  in  its  collected  form? 

Mr.  B.  We  may ;  and  beginning  with  the  last,  we  have 
seen  that  it  was  then  universally  received  as  of  Divine 
authority,  because  the  various  parts  had  previously,  in 
the  second  period,  been  generally  so  received:  and  the 
whole  of  the  testimony  adduced  gives  this  reason  only 
for  its  parts  having  been  so  received,  viz.  because  they 

71  Concerning  which  ones  does  he  furnish  testimony'! — 72  What  is  said 
by  Mr.  B.  of  the  additional  evidence  which  might  be  adduced! — 73  How 
does  Edward  think  that  the  history  of  the  New  Testament  may  be  divided1? 
— 74  What  does  Mr.  B.  say  of  this  division? 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


103 


were  genuine,  i.  e.  really  written  by  the  persons  whose 
names  they  bear. 

Edward.  This,  however,  is  only  their  belief.  It  does 
not  follow  that  it  is  genuine,  because  they  believed  it  to 
be  so. 

Mr.  B.  It  does  not;  but  it  is  a  great  point  gained  to¬ 
wards  it,  that  all  Christians,  in  every  age,  have  so  re¬ 
garded  them  up  to  the  very  age  immediately  succeeding 
that  in  which  the  writings  first  appeared. 

Maria.  But  you  have  only  established  that  books, 
bearing  the  same  titles  as  those  found  in  our  New  Test¬ 
ament,  were  thus  regarded  as  of  Divine  authority,  be¬ 
cause  believed  to  be  genuine  productions  of  the  persons 
whose  names  they  bear. 

Mr.  B.  In  our  next  conversation,  then,  we  will  consi¬ 
der  the  parts  of  those  books,  and  endeavour  to  ascertain 
the  integrity  of  the  New  Testament;  a  subj  ct  of  such 
great  importance,  that  not  only  the  chapters,  but  even 
the  verses  demand  the  closest  attention. 

Maria.  That  I  can  easily  conceive:  for  if  the  suppo¬ 
sition  of  its  being  not  only  genuine,  but  inspired,  be  cor¬ 
rect,  too  much  importance  cannot  be  attached  to  it. 


CONVERSATION  VII. 

Maria.  We  have  now  to  consider  the  arguments  which 
are  brought  forward  to  establish  the  integrity  of  the  Scrip¬ 
tures  of  the  New  Testament. 

Mr.  B.  The  means  by  which  we  are  enabled  to  do  this 
consist  in  the  quotations  of  these  writings,  the  versions 


75  What  (toes  he  say  of  the  fact,  that  all  Christians  have  believed  in 
the  genuineness  of  the  books  of  the  New  Testament'? — 76  What  defect 
docs  Maria  think  there  is  in  the  argument  as  thus  presented? — 77  How 
does  Mr.  13.  answer  her  on  this  point? 

1  IIow  are  we  enabled  to  establish  the  integrity  of  the  New  Testament 
Scriptures? 


104 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


which  have  been  made  of  them,  and  the  numerous  man¬ 
uscripts  which  are  yet  extant. 

Edward.  Is  there  so  much  of  the  New  Testament  in 
quotations,  as  certainly  to  identify  the  books  we  have 
with  those  which  we  know  were  received  as  of  authority? 

Mr.  B.  Abundantly  so.  Speaking  of  Tertullian,  Lard- 
ner  says,  “There  are,  perhaps,  more  and  larger  quota¬ 
tions  of  the  small  volume  of  the  New  Testament  in  this 
one  Christian  author,  than  of  all  the  works  of  Cicero, 
though  of  so  uncommon  excellence  for  thought  and  style, 
in  the  writers  of  all  characters  for  several  ages.  And 
there  is  a  like  number  of  quotations  of  the  New  Testa¬ 
ment  in  St.  Irenmus  and  St.  Clement  of  Alexandria,  both 
writers  of  the  second  century.” — Vol.  iii.  p.  435.  4to  ed. 

In  later  times,  with  the  increase  of  Christian  writers, 
we  have  of  course  a  corresponding  increase  of  quotations 
from  the  sacred  writings;  and  by  all  these,  we  are  ena¬ 
bled  fully  to  ascertain  the  fact,  that  the  books  we  regard 
as  sacred,  were,  in  all  respects,  the  same  as  those  which 
were  then  esteemed  of  divine  authority. 

Maria.  But  are  there  quotations  in  the  apostolic  fa¬ 
thers  also? 

Mr.  B.  There  are.  The  names  of  the  apostolic  fathers 
are  Barnabas,  Clement  of  Rome,  Hermas,  Ignatius,  and 
Polvcarp;  and  though  it  is  not  certain  that  all  the  works 
usually  ascribed  to  these  are  really  genuine,  of  their 
great  antiquity  there  can  be  no  doubt;  and  the  passages 
of  the  New  Testament  found  in  their  writings  are  thus 
fully  attested  to  have  been  at  that  early  period  received 
as  of  authority.  Now  out  of  these  five,  all  of  them  quote 
the  Gospel  of  St.  Matthew,  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  the 
Epistle  to  the  Romans,  both  the  Epistles  to  the  Corin¬ 
thians,  the  Epistles  to  the  Galatians,  Ephesians,  He¬ 
brews,  the  Second  Epistle  to  Timothy,  and  the  First 
Epistle  of  St.  Peter;  four  quote  the  Gospel  of  St.  Luke, 
the  Epistle  to  the  Philippians,  and  the  First  Epistle  to 


2  What  question  does  Edward  ask  upon  tills'!- — 3  What  reply  is  made 
to  it  from  Lardner! — 4  Who  are  denominated  the  apostolic  fathers'! — 5 
What  books  of  the  New  Testament  does  each  one  of  them  quote! — 6  What 
Other  ones  are  quoted  by  four  of  them! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  105 

the  Thessalonians;  three  quote  the  Gospel  of  St.  Mark, 
the  Epistle  to  the  Colossians,  the  Second  Epistle  of  St. 
Peter,  and  the  First  Epistle  of  St.  John;  two  quote  the 
Gospel  of  St.  John,  the  First  Epistle  to  Timothy,  the 
Epistle  to  Titus,  the  Epistle  of  St.  James,  the  Second 
Epistle  of  St.  John,  and  the  book  of  Revelation;  and  all 
the  remaining  book  of  the  New  Testament,  viz.  the  Sec¬ 
ond  Epistle  to  the  Thessalonians,  that  to  Philemon,  the 
Third  Epistle  of  St.  John,  and  that  of  Jude,  are  quoted 
by  some  one  or  other  of  the  five.  The  writings  of  all  the 
five  also  occupy  so  small  a  space,  that  we  have  reason 
to  be  surprised  at  the  number  of  passages,  the  authority 
of  which  is  thus  ascertained,  and,  when  we  review  the 
whole,  can  have  no  doubt  that  our  New  Testament  does 
truly  contain  the  real  belief  of  the  first  Christians;  so 
that  by  it  ve  may  fairly  try  the  pretensions  of  Christian¬ 
ity  to  a  Divine  origin. 

Edward .  You  mentioned  the  versions  of  the  New 
Testament  as  another  means  of  ascertaining  the  integri¬ 
ty  of  the  New  Testament. 

Mr.  B.  The  versions  are  indeed  of  great  importance 
in  corroborating  it,  and  it  is  necessary  that  you  should 
have  some  knowledge  of  them.  They  are  as  follow : — 

1.  The  Peschito,  or  ancient  Syriac,  made  about  the 
year  100. 

2.  The  Philoxenian  Syriac,  finished  in  508. 

3.  The  Jerusalem  Syriac,  of  uncertain  date. 

4.  The  Coptic,  for  the  use  of  Lower  Egypt,  date 
unknown. 

5.  The  Sahidic,  for  the  use  of  Upper  Egypt,  in  the 
second  century. 

6.  The  Arabic  versions,  probably  made  from  the  7th 
to  the  11th  centuries. 

7.  The  Ethiopic,  supposed  to  have  been  made  in  the 
4th  century. 

8.  The  Armenian,  made  by  Miesrob,  at  the  end  of 
the  4th  century. 

7  What  other  ones  by  three  of  them! — 8  What  other  ones  by  two  of 
them? — 9  What  remark  is  made  on  these  quotations'? — 10  What  is  said 
of  the  versions  of  the  New  Testament  as  tending  to  establish  its  integri¬ 
ty! — 11  How  many  of  these  versions  are  there,  and  what  are  they! 


'106 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


9.  Two  Persian  versions,  of  which  the  dates  are  un¬ 
determined. 

10.  The  Latin  Vulgate,  by  Jerome,  finished  in  384. 

11.  The  Gothic,  made  by  Ulphilas,  in  the  4th  cen¬ 
tury.  ■  ' 

12.  The  Sclavonic,  by  Cyril  and  Methodius,  in  the 
9th  century. 

13.  The  Anglo-Saxon,  made  from  the  old  Latin. 

Of  these,  by  far  the  most  important  are  the  Syriac  and 
the  Latin;  but  all  are  of  use,  more  or  less,  in  enabling 
us  to  determine,  with  certainty,  the  integrity  of  the  sa¬ 
cred  text. 

Maria.  In  what  respects  are  the  Syriac  and  Latin  ver¬ 
sions  so  peculiarly  valuable? 

Mr.  B.  The  more  ancient  Syriac  version  was  made  at 
so  early  a  period,  that  it  does  not  contain  all  the  books 
of  the  New  Testament;  omitting  the  Second  Epistle  of 
St.  Peter,  that  of  St.  Jude,  the  Second  and  Third  of  St. 
John,  and  the  book  of  Revelation.  There  can  be  little 
doubt,  that  if  not  made  during  the  very  lifetime  of  the 
apostles,  it  must  have  been  made  within  a  very  short  pe¬ 
riod  after  their  deaths.  The  account  given  in  our  copies 
of  the  woman  taken  in  adultery,  is  not  to  be  found  in  it; 
but  in  all  other  respects,  it  bears  the  most  striking  testi¬ 
mony  to  the  uncorrupted  preservation  of  our  copies. 

Maria.  The  books  omitted  are  the  same  as  those  re¬ 
specting  which  some  doubt  was  entertained  for  a  time? 

Mr.  B.  They  are;  and  perhaps  their  omission  in  this 
collection  contributed  to  strengthen  that  doubt.  * 

Edward.  In  what  consists  the  value  of  the  Latin  Vul¬ 
gate? 

Mr.  B.  The  first  Latin  version  was  probably  made  at 
the  beginning  of  the  second  century.  During  the  course 
of  time  the  copies  of  this  version,  in  consequence  of  the 
carelessness  of  transcribers,  became  so  corrupt,  that  a 
revision  of  it  was  necessary,  and,  by  desire  of  Pope  Da- 
masus,  Jerome  undertook  the  correction  of  it  by  the»He- 

12  Which  of  them  are  most  important! — 13  In  what  respect  is  the 
Syriac  version  peculiarly  valuable! — 14  What  does  Maria  say  of  the  hooka 
omitted  in  this  version! — 15  What  else  does  Mr.  B.  say  of  these  omis-  , 
sions! — 16  What  is  said  of  the  value  of  the  Latin  Vulgate! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


107 

brew.  His  version  being  made  the  standard  text  of  the 
church  of  Rome,  is  generally  called  the  Vulgate;  and 
that  which  preceded  it,  the  Old  Italic.  Both  are  of  im¬ 
portance  in  ascertaining  the  truth  of  the  Greek  text,  to 
the  manuscripts  of  which  you  must  now  turn  your  atten¬ 
tion,  as  the  last  great  means  of  assuring  us  of  the  integ¬ 
rity  of  the  New  Testament. 

Maria.  Are  these  manuscripts  numerous? 

Mr.  B.  So  numerous  that  it  is  necessary  to  class  them 
in  various  ways,  the  better  to  ascertain  the  real  text  of 
these  books.  For  this  purpose  a  great  number  have  been 
carefully  examined,  and  as  it  was  found  that  some  agreed 
very  closely  with  each  other,  they  have  been  arranged 
accordingly.  There  are  also,  in  all  probability,  many 
with  which  we  are  not  at  present  acquainted;  and,  doubt¬ 
less,  many  have  been  lost  or  destroyed.  , 

Edward.  Do  all  contain  the  whole  of  the  New  Testa¬ 
ment  ? 

Mr.  B.  No,  very  few;  some  only  the  Gospels,  others 
only  the  Epistles,  and  others,  called  Lectionaria,  being 
merely  selections  of  particular  parts  for  the  public  ser¬ 
vice  of  the  church. 

Maria.  I  suppose  there  must  be. a  great  difference  be¬ 
tween  the  values  placed  upon  some  and  others? 

Mr.  B.  There  is;  the  more  ancient  having  much 
greater  authority. 

Maria.  Which  are  reckoned  the  most  valuable,  and 
what  is  their  age  ? 

Mr.  B.  There  are  three  which  are  decidedly  the  most 
valuable;  two  of  which  ate  in  England,  and  the  third  is 
at  Rome. — The  Alexandrine  manuscript,  as  it  is  called,  is 
preserved  in  the  British  Museum,  and  was  sent  from  the 
East  by  Cyrillus  Lucaris,  Patriarch  of  Constantinople, 
as  a  present  to  Charles  I.  in  the  year  1628.  It  is  sup¬ 
posed  to  have  been  written  in  Egypt,  about  the  sixth  cen¬ 
tury;  according  to  some,  as  early  as  the  fourth. — The 
Becpnd  of  these  manuscripts  is  preserved  at  Cambridge; 


17  Arc  those  manuscripts  numerous'? — 18  Do  they  all  contain  the  whole 
of  the  New  Testament'?— 19  Which  of  them  has  the  greater  authority'?— 
20  What  is  said  of  the  first  of  these  manuscripts'? — 21  Of  the  second  of, 
them  ?  • 


10&  CONVERSATIONS  ON  TIIE 

having  been  presented  to  that  university  by  Beza  the  re¬ 
former,  in  the  year  1581.  The  date  is  uncertain;  but, 
perhaps  the  opinion  of  Bishop  Marsh  is  pretty  correct, 
viz.  that  it  belongs  to  the  fifth  century. — The  third  man¬ 
uscript  is  concealed  in  the  Vatican,  and  is  consequently 
less  known  than  the  preceding.  If  most  probably  ought 
to  be  assigned  to  the  fifth  century  also. 

Edward.  And  from  the  examination  of  these  and  the 
other  manuscripts,  there  is  found  that  general  agreement 
with  each  other,  with  the  versions  and  with  the  quota¬ 
tions  of  the  fathers,  which  warrants  the  conclusion,  that 
we  possess  the  New  Testament  uncorrupted,  and  without 
any  material  variation  from  the  copies  used  at  the  begin¬ 
ning  of  the  second  century  ? 

Mr.  B.  There  is;  but,  to  make  assurance  doubly  sure, 
there  are  some  other  considerations  which  I  must  desire 
you  to  attend  to,  viz.  that  no  material  corruption  of  the 
New  Testament  could  possibly  have  been  effected;  and 
that  the  effects  of  time,  and  the  consequences  of  negli¬ 
gence,  have  been  sufficiently  counteracted  by  the  labours 
of  critics  in  modern  times. 

Maria.  Do  you,  indeed,  think  it  impossible,  that  the 
New  Testament  should  have  been  altered? 

Mr.  B.  You  will  also,  if  you  well  consider  in  what  an 
alteration  would  have  displayed  itself,  and  what  means 
there  were  of  effecting  it.  If  any  alteration  had  at  any 
time  been  made,  it  must  have  been  made  for  some  pur¬ 
pose; — to  advocate  some  opinion  or  other.  Now,  we 
know  from  history,  and  from  the  works  of  those  who  liv¬ 
ed  in  successive  ages,  what  were  the  tenets  of  the  vari¬ 
ous  Christian  sects,  and  what  were  the  sentiments  of 
those  who  may  be  conceived  most  likely  to,  attempt  alter¬ 
ations.  You  have  seen,  even  from  Pagan  statements, 
the  zeal  of  the  Christians  in  the  fourth  century  for  monk¬ 
ery;  and  the  pages  of  Gibbon  will  give  you  abundant 
testimony  as  to  the  weakness  and  failings  of  the  moro 

22  And  of  the  third  of  them! — 23  What  does  Edward  say  is  found  from 
the  examination  of  these  arid  other  manuscripts'! — 24  In  reply  to  this,  how 
does  Mr.  B.  gay  that  assurance  may  be  made  doubly  sure! — 25  What 
question  does  Maria  ask  concerning  an  alteration  in  the  New  Testament! 
26  Would  an  alteration  have  been  made,  without  some  object  to  be  gained! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  109 

celebrated  Christians  in  a  later  period.  Now,  with  all 
their  zeal  for  useless  or  pernicious  institutions,  their  ab¬ 
surd  attachment  to  relics  of  saints,  to  the  celibacy  of 
the  clergy,  and  a  variety  of  other  things,  which  are 
wholly  indefensible,  on  the  ground  of  reason  or  common 
sense, — why  should  they  suffer  the  Scriptures  to  continue 
the  most  pointed  condemnation  of  follies  like  these,  if 
they  were  in  the  habit  of  corrupting  them?  When,  in 
the  course  of  time,  the  corruptions  of  Christianity  were 
grown  to  such  a  height  that  they  were  no  longer  tolera¬ 
ble,  it  was  by  reference  to  these  very  Scriptures,  that 
those  corruptions  were  detected  and  exposed  by  the  Re¬ 
formers.  The  invention  of  printing  soon  after  put  it  out 
of  the  power  of  any  set  of  men  to  suppress  the  knowledge 
of  these  most  important  documents. 

Edward.  If  corruptions  of  the  sacred  text  had  taken 
place  in  the  dark  ages,  we  certainly  might  reasonably 
expect  that  there  would  have  been  some  trace  of  it;  but 
might  not  important  alterations  have  been  made  at  an 
earlier  period? 

Mr.  B.  Before  the  establishment  of  Christianity  as  the 
religion  of  the  state,  the  persecutions  must,  to  a  great 
degree,  have  absorbed  the  attention  of  the  Christians, 
and  it  is  not  likely  that  any  alterations  would,  in  times 
of  such  severe  suffering,  take  place;  but,  supposing  they 
had,  of  what  nature  may  it  be  conjectured  they  would 
be? 

Maria.  Either  to  soften  the  religion,  so  as  to  make 
the  persecutors  relax,  or  to  inspire  a  greater  zeal  for 
martyrdom,  so  as  to  make  the  followers  of  Christ  ready 
to  meet  the  worst. 

Mr.  B.  But,  on  examination  of  the  works  of  the  Chris¬ 
tians  of  these  ages,  we  find  their  own  language  by  no 
means  accordant  with  that  of  the  New  Testament  on  these 


27  What  extraordinary  fact  appears,  from  the  history  of  Christianity, 
prior,  illustrative  of  the  integrity  of  the  New  Testament1? — 28  In  the  time 
of  the  reformation,  how  were  (he  corruptions  of  Christianity  exposed? — 
29  How  did  the  invention  of  printing  effect  the  subject'? — 30  What  ques¬ 
tion  does  Edward  ask,  touching  the  period  when  alterations  might  have 
been  made? — 31  How  does  Mr.  B.  reply  to  it? — 32  If  altered,  of  what 
nature  does  Maria  suppose  it  to  have  been? — 33  What  is  found  to  be  the 
fact,  on  examining  the  works  of  the  Christians  of  these  ageal 
10 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


110 

points;  and  the  further  it  is  removed  from  the  apostolical 
times,  the  more  violent  it  becomes.  The  New  Test- 
tament  contains  a  calm  and  dignified  assertion  of  the  na¬ 
ture  of  the  religion  it  teaches,  and  its  claims  to  universal 
reception,  but  never  goes  further;  and,  though  it  stoops 
to  no  artifice  to  increase  the  number  of  its  disciples, 
never  needlessly  uses  the  language  of  contempt  or  ab¬ 
horrence,  which  became  not  uncommon  in  later  times. 
Of  the  idolatry  and  corrupt  practices  of  the  world  at 
large,  it  expresses  the  most  decided  condemnation,  but 
never  goes  beyond  that  to  inveigh  against  those  who, 
before  the  coming  of  Christ,  had  been  unable  to  find  out 
God  to  perfection.  It  was  not  till  after  Christianity  had 
gained  the  victory,  that  there  was  a  disposition  to  ac¬ 
commodate  it  to  the  heathen  world,  and  then  parties  ran 
too  high  among  themselves  to  permit  any  one  to  effect 
the  corrupting  of  the  Scriptures,  or  the  union  of  all  for 
this  purpose.  With  regard  to  martyrdom,  it  is  well 
known  how  far  the  Christians  receded  from  the  language 
of  the  New  Testament.  From  a  readiness  to  meet 
death,  should  it  be  necessary,  they  proceeded  to  court 
it  needlessly,  notwithstanding  the  adverse  language  of 
the  New  Testament.  But,  if  any  thing  could  have  been 
inserted  in  the  sacred  books,  surely  sentiments  in  ac¬ 
cordance  with  popular  prejudice  would  be  the  most  like¬ 
ly;  and,  if  any  thing  could  safely  be  obliterated,  certain¬ 
ly  those  texts  which  are  contrary  to  them  would  have 
had  the  least  chance  for  preservation. 

Edward.  But,  is  it  not  supposed,  by  some,  that  there 
are  texts  which  have  been  interpolated,  to  favour  pecu¬ 
liar  doctrines,  where  we  cannot  bring  the  matter  to  a 
decisive  issue? 

Mr.  B.  There  is  one  very  celebrated  text  of  this  na¬ 
ture,  viz.  the  seventh  verse  of  the  fifth  chapter  of  St. 


34  How  does  the  New  Testament  stand,  in  contrast  with  those  works  ? 
— 35  What  took  place  when  Christianity  had  gained  what  .is  called  a  vic¬ 
tory1? — 36  How  is  the  preceding  view  illustrated,  by  reference  to  the  early 
martyrdoms'! — 37  What  alterations  would  have  been  most  probable? — 38 
What  question  does  Edward  ask  respecting  interpolations? — 39  In  what 
manner  is  an  argument  from  the  celebrated  text  in  St.  John’s  First  Epis¬ 
tle  drawn,  in  favour  of  the  integrity  of  Christianity? 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY.  HI 

John’s  First  Epistle;  but,  from  this  very  passage,  a 
strong  argument  may  be  derived  for  the  integrity  of  the 
sacred  text;  for  it  is  not  found  in  any  of  the  more  an¬ 
cient  manuscripts  which  can  be  relied  upon,  nor  in  any 
version  except  the  Latin:  there  are  no  such  quotations 
of  it,  where  we  might  have  expected  to  meet  with  it,  as 
would  put  the  matter  out  of  doubt;  and  in  Bishop  Marsh’s 
Divinity  Lectures,  there  is  an  account  given  of  it,  which 
seems  almost  to  preclude  the  chance  of  its  being  genu¬ 
ine.  Yet,  surely  all  those  Trinitarians,  who  long  had 
the  manuscripts  of  the  Greek  Testament  in  their  posses¬ 
sion,  would  never  have  transmitted  them  to  us  destitute  ^ 
of  a  text  so  decisive  of  this  great  controversy,  if  any 
thing  like  interpolation  could  have  been  allowed.  The 
text  may  possibly  have  been  omitted  in  some  manuscripts 
by  mistake,  and  the  error  perpetuated  by  successive 
transcription;  and,  as  some  very  learned  and  upright 
men  have  regarded  it  as  genuine,  I  would  not  presume 
to  say  it  was  not:  but  the  evidence  hitherto  brought  for¬ 
ward  in  its  behalf,  appears  to  me  by  no  means  demon¬ 
strative. 

Maria.  But,  as  there  is  a  difference  between  manu¬ 
scripts,  there  certainly  must  have  been  interpolation  or 
omission  in  some  cases;  and  if  in  some,  why  not  in 
more  ? 

Mr.  B.  That  no  interpolation,  to  such  an  extent  as  to 
affect  the  argument  of  the  integrity  of  the  sacred  text 
has  taken  place,  is  almost  certain,  from  the  general 
agreement  of  the  manuscripts;  and  that  it  could  not  pos¬ 
sibly  have  been  effected,  is  not  less  so,  from  the  state  in 
which  the  Scriptures  existed  during  successive  ages,  and 
in  which  they  are  now  come  down  to  us;  for  insuperable 
difficulties  attend  the  hypothesis  of  any  interpolation  hav¬ 
ing  been  effected.  The  Scriptures  were  in  the  hands  of 
all  parties;  they  formed,  in  many  cases,  the  only  common 
bond  of  union  among  Christians:  they  were  not  conceal- 


40  How  is  it  possible,  that  this  passage  is  so  generally  wanting  in  man¬ 
uscripts,  if  genuine! — 41  How  does  it  appear  that  no  interpolations  have 
been  made,  of  a  nature  materially  to  affect  the  character  of  the  New  Tes¬ 
tament! — 42  By  whom  were  the  Scriptures  possessed,  and  who  had  access, 
to  them! 


112  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 

ed  from  the  Pagans,  except  during  the  persecution  of 
Dioclesian,  when  it  was  attempted  to  destroy  them;  and 
none  of  the  Pagans  insinuate,  that  any  interpolation  had 
taken  place,  which  it  is  next  to  impossible  they  would 
have  omitted  to  assert,  had  there  been  the  least  pretext. 
The  great  reverence  in  which  they  were  held,  you  have 
already  seen,  and  this  must  have  restrained  those  who 
were  sincere  in  such  expressions  of  regard:  and  who 
shall  dare  to  say  they  were  not  sincere  ?  Whatsoever 
might  be  interpolated  to  favour  one  tenet,  would  instant¬ 
ly  excite  the  attention  of  those  who  were  opposed  to  it: 
and  it  was  altogether  out  of  the  power  of  any  man,  or  set 
of  men,  to  corrupt  all  the  manuscripts,  and  all  the  ver¬ 
sions,  in  every  country  in  which  Christianity  had  spread. 
All  the  power  of  Constantius  could  not  overcome  Atha¬ 
nasius,  and  the  whole  empire  was  witness  to  religious 
wars,  when  the  Scriptures  were  the  great  authority  from 
which  alone  there  was  no  appeal;  and  could  such  a  thing 
as  a  universal  corruption  of  these  Scriptures  have  taken 
place,  without  any  trace  of  it  in  the  history  of  the  church? 
Could  every  other  record  of  that  period  also  have  been 
so  corrupted,  that  no  vestige  of  such  a  deed  remains, 
when,  from  the  character  of  the  times,  we  know  that 
above  all  others,  it  would  be  calculated  to  excite  atten¬ 
tion?  Lastly,  if  interpolation  was  effected  at  one  peri¬ 
od,  why  not  at  another?  And  why  do  not  the  manu¬ 
scripts  of  different  dates  exhibit  the  varying  character 
of  the  ages  to  which  they  are  assigned?  If  the  custom 
w'as  once  begun,  v7hy  should  it  end?  And  where  did  it 
end?  The  progress  of  time  certainly  did  not  purify  the 
Church,  nor  w7ere  those  who  possessed  the  manuscripts 
in  the  tenth  century,  more  scrupulous  than  those  in  the 
fifth. 

Maria.  But,  if  errors  of  this  kind  do  not  exist,  may  not 
mistakes  have  arisen  in  the  course  of  time  to  such  an 
extent  as  to  have  almost  the  same  effect? 


43  Would  those,  who  are  sincerely  attached  to  them,  be  likely  to  alter 
them'? — 44  Wiry  was  it  impossible  for  any  man,  or  any  set  of  men,  to  make 
a  successful  alteration? — 45  What  ic  the  last  reason  here  given  against 
the  belief  of  any  material  change  in  the  New  Testament  Scriptures? — 46 
What  question  does  Maria  ask,  as  to  mistakes  having  been  made? 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY.  113 

Mr.  B.  That  the  Scriptures  are  not  exempt  from  the 
common  lot  of  all  other  writings,  in  this  respect,  is  cer¬ 
tain;  but,  we  have  some  reason  to  believe,  that  they 
have  not  suffered  to  the  same  extent:  and  we  have,  at 
least,  the  consolation  of  knowing,  that  they  have  receiv¬ 
ed  more  attention,  with  a  view  to  ascertain  the  true  text, 
than  perhaps  all  the  other  books  in  the  world  put  together. 

Edward.  Will  you  explain  this  more  at  large? 

Mr.  B.  From  being  accounted  sacred  books,  as  you 
have  already  seen,  the  Scriptures  have  derived  the  great¬ 
est  advantage.  They  have  been  more  frequently  and 
carefully  transcribed  than  any  other  works,  so  that  we 
possess  a  greater  number  of  manuscripts  than  in  any 
other  case;  and  their  singular  agreement  with  each  oth¬ 
er,  in  all  important  particulars,  is  the  most  satisfactory 
proof  that  can  be  afforded,  of  the  care  which  has  been 
bestowed  upon  them.  They  have  also  been  translated 
into  so  many  languages,  and  under  such  circumstances, 
that  we  are  fully  secured  against  the  errors  which  might 
have  arisen  from  similarity  of  words  and  letters;  and  the 
numerous  quotations  of  them,  both  with  and  without  com¬ 
ments,  give  us  the  clearest  insight  into  the  use  which  was 
made  of  them,  so  as  certainly  to  fix  the  sense. 

Edivard.  But,  both  translators  and  commentators  have 
taken  parts  of  the  New  Testament  in  different  senses. 

Mr.  B.  Yet  we  do  not  follow  either  implicitly:  we 
merely  use  them  as  a  proof  in  what  words  the  passage 
was  then  expressed,  or  in  what  sense  they  understood  it; 

Maria.  But,  in  what  respects  has  such  great  care  been 
displayed,  to  ascertain  the  true  text  of  the  New  Testa¬ 
ment  ? 

Mr.  B.  All  the  first  critics,  from  the  time  of  Erasmus 
to  our  own,  have  been  employed  upon  it,  and  every  pos¬ 
sible  means  has  been  resorted  to,  in  order  to  fix  the  text 
as  originally  delivered.  We  have  now,  in  our  hands, 


47  What  reply  does  Mr.  B.  make  to  her? — 48  What  advantages  have 
the  Scriptures  derived,  from  being  accounted  sacred  books? — 49  How  has 
the  translation  of  them  into  different  languages  operated  on  them  in  this 
respect? — 50  How  does  Mr.  B.  reply  to  Edward,  when  he  says  that  dif¬ 
ferent  commentators  take  different  parts  of  the  New  Testament  in  differ¬ 
ent  ways  1—51  What  does  he  say  of  the  text  now  in  our  possession  1 
10* 


114 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


that  which  it  has  been  the  work  of  three  centuries  to  per¬ 
fect,  and  to  which  ahnost  all  the  greatest  names  in  learn¬ 
ing  have  contributed  something.  The  most  valuable 
manuscripts  have  been  collected  and  deposited  in  places 
of  the  greatest  security;  they  have  been  examined  and 
collated  again  and  again  with  the  greatest  care,  and  the 
eagerness  of  each  succeeding  editor,  to  detect  the  defi¬ 
ciencies  of  his  predecessors,  has  contributed  in  a  very 
great  degree,  to  elicit  the  truth.  These  editors  and 
critics  have  also  been  men-  frequently  of  the  most  differ¬ 
ent  sentiments,  and  the  interests  of  party,  and  influence 
of  private  pique,  have  aided  their  acuteness.  Being  a 
matter  of  fact,  and  not  of  mere  disputation,  all  that  is 
essential  to  the  proof  of  the  truth  of  Christianity  is  de¬ 
cided;  and  we  have  the  testimony  of  all  parties,  that 
though  there  are  an  immense  number  of  trivial  variations, 
which  clearly  prove  the  independent  nature  of  the  man¬ 
uscripts,  there  are  none  that  affect  the  morality,  hardly 
any  that  affect  the  statements,  and  but  very  few  indeed 
that  affect  the  doctrines  of  Christianity.  It  is  not  by  the 
doubtfulness  of  any  one  of  these  very  few  texts,  that  the 
essential  nature  of  Christianity  can  be  deemed  ambigu¬ 
ous;  for  no  one  sect  would  be  willing  to  own  all  its  claims 
depended  upon  a  doubtful  text;  nor  is  it  by  any  indeter¬ 
minateness  as  to  matter  of  fact,  that  the  whole  religion 
can  be  overthrown;  for  the  New  Testament  makes  no 
profession  of  handing  down  every  particle  of  it  unchang¬ 
ed,  as  to  details  of  minor  importance. 

Maria.  From  the  whole,  then,  we  may  safely  con¬ 
clude,  that  the  New  Testament  has  been  transmitted  to 
us  in  a  state  sufficiently  perfect  to  enable  us  to  judge  of 
the  truth  of  the  religion  it  contains,  as  evidenced  by  its 
own  statements? 

Edward.  Not  yet;  for  we  are  not  yet  certain  that  the 
New  Testament  is  indeed  the  production  of  the  alleged 
authors:  we  have  Only  ascertained  that  it  has  been  hand- 


52  What  regard  has  been  paid  to  the  most  valuable  manuscripts'? — 53 
What  is  said  of  these  editors  and  critics? — 54  By  what  means  can  the 
essential  nature  of  Christianity  be  deemed  ambiguous1? — 55  What  conclu¬ 
sion  is  Maria  disposed  to  draw  from  the  facts  and  considerations  adduced? 
56  What  objection  does  Edward  make  to  this  conclusion? 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY.  115 

ed  down  to  us  as  such,  and  with  such  a  degree  of  cor¬ 
rectness,  as  to  enable  us  to  decide  upon  the  probabilities 
of  its  being  really  written  by  the  apostles  or  not,  and  of 
its  being  true  or  false. 

Mr.  B.  And  there  is  yet  another  question  to  be  con¬ 
sidered,  before  we  can  enter  upon  that  part  of  the  sub¬ 
ject. 

Edward.  There  is,  indeed;  for,  admitting  the  possibil¬ 
ity  of  these  books  being  what  they  profess  to  be,  there 
are  other  writings  which  have,  if  not  equal,  certainly 
some  claims  to  examination,  since  they  assume  the  name 
of  the  same  authors,  or  of  contemporaries,  equally  able 
to  decide  upon  the  subject. 

Mr.  B.  We  will,  then,  at  our  next  conversation,  con¬ 
sider  whether  any  other  books  than  these  have  a  right  to 
be  regarded  as  canonical,  and  whether  it  is  necessary  to 
institute  any  further  examination  into  their  contents,  as 
well  as  into  those  of  the  New  Testament. 


CONVERSATION  VIII. 

Mr.  B.  From  the  view  of  the  subject  we  before  took, 
it  appeared  that  the  books  of  the  New  Testament  were 
canonical:  we  have  now  to  ascertain  whether  any  others 
besides  these  books  ever  were  so. 

Edward.  There  has  a  work  been  published  which  pro¬ 
fesses  to  be  a  collection  of  books  which,  at  an  early  pe¬ 
riod,  had  like  regard  with  those  of  the  New  Testament. 

Mr.  B.  The  praise  of  ingenuity  might  have  been  al¬ 
lowed,  if  the  idea  had  been  original:  but  it  was  a  wretch¬ 
ed  thing  to  attempt  to  deceive  the  public  by  means,  the 
folly  of  which  hqd  long  ago  been  exposed;  and  but  a 
poor  excuse  to  plead  ignorance  in  extenuation  of  a  crime, 

57  What  question  is  to  be  discussed  in  the  next  conversation* 1? 

1  What  does  Edward  say  of  a  collection  of  books,  the  character  of 
which  he  would  have  examined? — 2  What  does  Mr.  B.  say  to  him  of  the 
design  in  which  it  originated? 


116 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


the  very  nature  of  which  was  connected  with  research. 

Edward.  Is  it  then  so  certain,  that  no  books  have  a 
just  claim  to  be  classed  as  the  received  canonical  Scrip¬ 
tures  of  the  first  Christians,  but  those  in  our  New  Tes¬ 
tament  ? 

Mr.  B.  In  some  cases,  it  is  much  easier  to  show  what 
is  false  than  to  ascertain  what  is  true:  and  in  the  whole 
range  of  literary  history,  I  hardly  know  of  any  thing 
which  can  be  more  fully  established,  than  that  no  other 
books,  but  those  of  the  New  Testament,  were  admitted 
by  the  primitive  church  as  canonical.  I  cannot  conceive 
any  man  capable  of  investigating  the  matter,  who  could 
rise  from  the  inquiry  with  any  other  feeling,  than  that  of 
the  books  not  contained  in  the  New  Testament,  and  of 
late  brought  forward  as  of  equal  authority,  being  desti¬ 
tute  of  the  sanction  of  the  church,  and  containing  in 
themselves  the  proof  of  their  own  unsoundness. 

Maria.  What  are  the  books  to  which  you  allude,  and 
by  whom  do  they  profess  to  be  composed? 

Mr..  B.  As  the  Christian  religion  began  to  spread, 
several  writings  appeared,  besides  those  of  the  New 
Testament,  professing  to  be  by  Christ  himself,  his  apos¬ 
tles,  or  others  intimately  connected  with  them.  These 
writings,  most  probably,  in  a  great  measure,  owed  their 
origin  to  the  great  interest  which  necessarily  would  be 
attached  to  every  thing  proceeding  from  such  a  source, 
and  relating  to  the  apostolical  times.  Some  for  a  time 
attracted  attention,  and  were  read  with  a  deference  due 
to  the  subject,  and  not  the  composition:  others  were  at 
once  rejected;  and  the  greater  number  have  long  since 
perished.  A  few,  however,  have  come  down  to  us,  and 
leave  us  no  reason  to  regret  the  loss  of  the  rest.  Of 
these,  you  will  find  a  full  account  in  the  admirable  work 
of  “  Mr.  Jeremiah  Jones  on  the  Canon,”  which  was  orig¬ 
inally  produced  in  consequence  of  Toland’s  attempt  to 
destroy  the  authority  of  the  New  Testament;  but  I  would 


3  What  comparison  does  he  make  between  the  genuineness  of  this,  and 
of  the  New  Testament! — 4  How  does  lie  suppose  that  any  man,  capable 
of  investigating  the  subject,  will  view  the  comparison! — 5  How  did  these 

spurious  works  have  their  origin! — 6  Where  may  an  account  of  them  be 
found! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


117 


recommend  to  you,  Edward,  also,  the  careful  examina¬ 
tion  of  Fabricius  on  the  same  subject. 

Maria.  What  is  the  method  pursued  by  Mr.  Jones,  to 
decide  the  question? 

Mr.  B.  His  proof  is  drawn  up  in  distinct  propositions, 
of  which  the  following  are  the  enunciations: 

Prop.  I. — Besides  those  books  which  are  now  com¬ 
monly  received  into  the  canon  of  the  New  Testament, 
there  have  been  many  others  under  the  names,  either  of 
our  Saviour,  his  apostles,  or  their  contemporaries,  which 
may  seem  to  claim  the  same  authority. 

Prop.  II. — The  greatest  part  of  Christians  were  very 
early  agreed  what  books  were  canonical,  and  to  be  look¬ 
ed  upon  as  the  rule  of  faith  and  practice. 

Prop.  III. — The  main  and  principal  method  by  which 
we  are  now  able  to  determine  the  canonical  authority  of 
any  book  or  books  is,  by  searching  into  the  most  ancient 
and  authentic  records  of  Christianity,  and  finding  out  the 
testimony  or  tradition  of  those  who  lived  nearest  to  the 
time  in  which  the  books  were  written  concerning  them 

Prop.  IV. — Those  books  which  are  mentioned  in  the 
catalogues  made  by  the  most  ancient  Christian  writers 
of  the  sacred  and  inspired  books,  are  to  be  esteemed  ca¬ 
nonical;  and  those  which  are  not  to  be  found  in  any  of 
these  catalogues,  must  be  esteemed  apocryphal. 

Prop.  V. — Those  books  are  justly  esteemed  canonical 
which  the  first  writers  of  Christianity  have  cited  in  their 
writings  as  Scripture ;  and  those  apocryphal  which  they 
have  not. 

Prop.  VI. — Those  books  are  canonical  which  the 
primitive  Christians  read  in  their  Churches,  or  public 
assemblies,  as  the  Scriptures  or  Word  of  God. 

Prop.  VII. — That  book  is  certainly  apocryphal  in 
which  are  found  any  contradictions. 

Prop.  VIII. — That  book  is  apocryphal  which  either 
contains  any  histories,  or  proposes  any  doctrines,  contra¬ 
ry  to  those  which  are  certainly  known  to  be  true. 

7  What  is  the  method  pursued  by  Mr.  Jones,  in  deciding  on  thoir  au¬ 
thority? — 8  What  is  the  first  of  his  propositions? — 9  The  second? — 10 
The  third? — 11  The  fourth? — 12  What  are  the  fifth,  sixth,  and  seventh? 
— 13  What  are  the  eighth,  the  ninth,  and  the  tenth? 


118 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


Prop.  IX. — That  book  is  apocryphal  in  which  are 
contained  things  ludicrous  or  trifling;  fabulous  or  silly 
relations. 

Prop.  X. — That  book  is  apocryphal  in  which  are  any 
sort  of  things  mentioned,  which  were  later  than  the  time 
in  which  the  author,  whose  name  it  bears,  lived. 

Prop.  XI. — That  book  is  spurious  and  apocryphal,  the 
style  of  which  is  different  from,  or  contrary  to,  the  style 
of  the  author  whose  name  it  bears,  in  those  which  are  his 
known  and  undoubted  writings. 

Prop.  XII. — That  book  is  spurious  and  apocryphal 
whose  idiom  and  dialect  is  different  from  the  known  idiom 
or  dialect  of  the  author  whose  name  it  bears,  or  the  coun¬ 
try  where  he  lived. 

Prop.  XIII. — That  book  is  spurious  and  apocryphal 
which  evidences  a  disposition  or  temper  of  mind  in  its 
author,  different  from  the  known  temper  and  disposition 
of  the  author  whose  name  it  bears. 

Prop.  XIV. — That  book  is  apocryphal  which,  for  the 
most  part,  is  transcribed  or  stolen  out  of  another. 

Prop.  XV. — The  translation  of  the  books  of  the  New 
Testament  in  Syriac,  is  of  very  considerable  service  in 
determining  and  fixing  the  canon  of  those  books. — Jones’s 
JYeiv  and  Full  Method,  Sec.  vol.  i.  pp.  23 — 85.  Oxf.  ed. 

After  having  established  these  propositions,  he  pro¬ 
ceeds  to  apply  them  to  the  various  apocryphal  writings 
now  extant,  giving  also  the  very  words  of  the  books,  or 
fragments  of  books,  and  a  translation  of  them  in  parallel 
columns,  so  as  to  enable  every  one  to  judge  of  the  truth 
of  his  conclusions,  and  a  full  statement  of  the  opinions 
of  those  who  before  him  had  occasion  to  mention  them, 
both  ancient  and  modern. 

Maria.  This  appears  a  very  fair  way  of  treating  the 
subject;  pray  what  has  been  the  result  of  it? 

Mr.  B.  That  the  work  has  now  for  upwards  of  100 
years  been  regarded  as  decisive  of  the  great  question  in 


14  What  are  the  eleventh,  the  twelfth,  and  the  thirteenth'? — 15  What 
are  the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth1? — 16  After  having  established  these  prop¬ 
ositions,  how  did  he  proceed  to  apply  them1? — 17  What  has  been  the  result 
of  this  mode  of  treating  the  subject  1 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY. 


119 


favour  of  the  New  Testament  as  now  received,  against 
all  other  supposititious  documents. 

Edward.  Some  of  the  propositions  seem  to  me,  how¬ 
ever,  to  assume  too  much.  If  it  were  certain,  that  the 
writings  of  the  New  Testament  were  really  the  produc¬ 
tions  of  the  persons  whose  names  they  bear,  we  might 
argue  from  thence  against  other  works  which  do  not  agree 
with  them;  but  we  do  not  know  this  to  be  the  case. 

Mr.  B.  We  cannot,  proceeding  in  the  course  we  have 
taken,  argue  precisely  in  the  manner  Mr.  Jones  has 
done;  but  his  propositions  will  bear  examination,  and  his 
application  of  them  be  found  conclusive.  We  may,  how¬ 
ever,  even  in  some  measure,  make  use  of  his  arguments 
also;  for,  chough  we  cannot  at  present  assert,  that  these 
productions  are  not  by  the  apostles  of  Christ,  we  can  as¬ 
sert  they  are  not  by  the  authors  of  the  New  Testament; 
and  if  we  hereafter  prove,  that  the  books  of  the  New 
Testament  are  genuine,  i.  e.  really  written  by  the  per¬ 
sons  whose  names  they  bear,  it  will  then  follow,  as  a 
necessary  consequence,  that  the  other  works  of  which 
we  now  speak  are  not. 

Maria.  So,  that  the  proof  of  their  spuriousness  de¬ 
pends  upon  the  proof  of  the  genuineness  of  the  books  of 
the  New  Testament. 

Mr.  B.  Not  necessarily;  for  some  we  may  prove  spu¬ 
rious  without  any  reference  to  the  books  of  the  New 
Testament,  both  from  external  and  internal  evidence. 
The  Acts  of  Paul  and  Thecla,  for  instance,  is  known  to 
be  spurious,  “from  the  'confession  and  acknowledgment  of 
the  Asiatic  presbyter  ivlio  ivas  the  first  author  of  them ;  ”  and 
of  others,  by  the  10th  prop,  of  Jones,  it  may  be  shown, 
that  they  could  not  have  been  produced  in  the  first  cen¬ 
tury.  It  is,  however,  more  in  accordance  with  the  course 
we  are  pursuing,  to  confine  ourselves  strictly  to  the  ques¬ 
tion  of  the  degree  of  authority  attached  to  these  books  : 
for  if  it  could  be  shown  that  they  ever  had  been  recog- 


18  Flow  does  Edward  speak  of  these  propositions'? — 19  Wlmt  use  docs 
Mr.  B.  propose  to  make  of  these  propositions'? — 20  On  what,  does  Maria 
conclude,  that  the  spuriousness  of  these  apocryphal  books  depends'? — 21 
How  does  Mr.  B.  qualify  her  opinion  on  this  subject?— 22  What  does  he 
.say  of  the  Acts  of  Paul  and  Thecla? 


120 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


nised  by  the  Christian  church  in  this  manner,  the  conse¬ 
quence  would  be  most  pernicious  to  Christianity;  for  we 
should  then  have  to  recognise  a  number  of  gross  absur¬ 
dities  as  integral  parts  of  Christianity,  in  the  supposition 
of  the  church  having  formed  a  right  judgment  on  them;! 
or  must  regard  the  testimony  of  the  church  inadequate1 
to  the  establishing  what  books  were  genuine,  and  what 
were  not.  But  if,  on  the  other  hand,  it  should  appear,1 
that  the  church  never  did  acknowledge  the  authority  of' 
these  records,— we  have  the  strongest  argument  against 
the  records  themselves,  and  the  most  satisfactory  proof] 
of  the  care  with  which  the  canon  was  formed,  and  every 
reason  to  believe  that  the  New  Testament  alone  is  the 
foundation  of  the  Christian  religion. 

Now,  from  the  labours  of  all  who  have  searched  into 
the  remains  of  the  first  ages,  it  appears  as  certain  as  any 
matter  of  historical  fhct  can  be,  that  whatever  degree  of 
credit  might  be  attached  to  any  other  writings  out  of  the 
New  Testament,  none  but  those  in  it  were,  in  the  strict 
sense  of  the  word,  canonical.  The  observations  of  Pa- 
ley  upon  this  subject,  give  the  real  state  of  the  case,  and 
deserve  attention. 

“I.  That  beside  our  Gospels  and  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles,  no  Christian  history,  claiming  to  be  written  by 
an  apostle  or  apostolical  man,  is  quoted  within  three 
hundred  years  after  the  birth  of  Christ,  by  any  writer 
now  extant  or  known;  or,  if  quoted,  is  not  quoted  with¬ 
out  marks  of  censure  and  rejection. 

“  II.  But  besides  certain  histdries  which  assumed  the 
names  of  apostles,  and  which  were  forgeries,  properly  so 
called,  there  were  some  other  Christian  writings,  in  the 
whole  or  in  part  of  an  historical  nature,  which,  though 
not  forgeries,  are  denominated  apocryphal,  as  being  of 
uncertain  or  of  no  authority. 

“We  may  be  permitted,  however,  to  add — 


23  What,  is  the  course  to  be  pursued  in  the  present  argument,  and  why 
is  that  course  preferable! — 24  What  would  be  the  consequence,  if  it  should 
appear  that  the  church  never  did  acknowledge  the  authority  of  these  books! 
— 25  What  appears  certain  on  this  subject,  to  all  who  have  searched  the 
remains  of  the  first  ages  of  Christianity,  in  relation  to  it! — 26  What  is  the 
first  observation  jnade  by  I’aley  on  this  matter! — 27  What  is  the  second! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  121 

“1.  That  there  is  no  evidence  t^iat  any  spurious  or 
apocryphal  books  whatever  existed  in  the  first  century 
of  the  Christian  era,  in  which  century  all  our  historical 
books  are  proved  to  have  been  extant.  ‘  There  are  no 
quotations  of  any  such  books  in  the  apostolical  fathers,  by 
whom  I  mean  Barnabas,  Clement  of  Rome,  Hermas,  Igna¬ 
tius,  and  Polycarp,  whose  writings  reach  from  the  year  of 
our  Lord  70,  to  the  year  108,’  (and  some  of  whom  have 
quoted  each  and  every  one  of  our  historical  Scriptures): 
‘  I  say  this,  ’  adds  Dr.  Lardner,  ‘  because  I  think  it  has 
been  proved.  ’ 

“  2.  These  apocryphal  writings  were  not  read  in  the 
churches  of  Christians; 

“  3.  Were  hot  admitted  into  their  volume; 

“  4.  Do  not  appear  in  their  catalogues; 

“  5.  Were  not  noticed  by  their  adversaries; 

“6.  Were  not  alleged  by  different  parties  as  of  au¬ 
thority,  in  their  controversies; 

“7.  Were  not  the  subjects  amongst  them  of  commen¬ 
taries,  versions,  collations,  expositions. 

“  Finally:  besides  the  silence  of  three  centuries,  or 
evidence  within  that  time  of  their  rejection,  they  were, 
with  a  consent  nearly  universal,  reprobated  by  Christian 
writers  of  succeeding  ages.” — Evidences,  Part  I.  Sect.  I. 
ch.  ix.  sect.  11. 

Maria.  Admitting  that  these  assertions  are  borne  out 
by  the  quotations  in  the  works  you  have  referred  to,  I 
do  not  see  how  it  is  possible  to  place  Christianity  upon 
any*  other  foundation  than  that  of  the  New  Testament 
alone;  and,  as  its  integrity  has  been  already  established, 
upon  the  examination  of  its  contents  the  Whole  of  the 
remainder  of  the  argument  seems  to  depend. 

Edward.  Before  we  finally  quit  this  part  of  the  sub¬ 
ject,  permit  me  to  ask  a  few  questions,  for  I  have  al¬ 
ways  understood  that  the  great  strength  of  Christianity 
lay  in  the  New  Testament  itself,  and  would,  therefore, 


28  What  is  the  first  qualification  which  he  adds'?— 29  What  are  the 
seven  further  qualifications  added  by  him'? — 30  On  the  admission  of  the 
assertions  in  the  foregoing  argument,  what  suggestion  does  Maria  make'! 
— 31  What  is  the  first  one  of  a  series  of  questions  here  introduced  by  Ed¬ 
ward'?  1 


11 


122 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


be  the  more  careful  not  to  pass  too  hastily  to  it.  To 
whose  writings,  or  to  what  kind  of  writings,  was  the  ca¬ 
non  of  the  church  confined? 

Mr.  B.  It  appears  to  have  been  limited  to  the  writings 
of  certain  persons  peculiarly  chosen  by  the  Founder  of 
this  religion  to  disseminate  it,  or  to  writings  which  re¬ 
ceived  their  sanction,  or,  in  the  language  of  the  fathers, 
<£  the  writings  of  the  apostles  and  of  apostolical  men.” 

Edioard.  But  is  it  certain  that  no  other  writings  by 
these  persons  existed,  except  those  which  are  contained 
in  this  volume? 

Mr.  B.  On  this  subject  there  is  a  difference  of  opinion 
among  the  learned;  some  maintaining,  for  example,  that 
St.  Paul  wrote  more  epistles  than  what  are  preserved  in 
the  New  Testament;  whilst  others  think  that  none  of 
the  writings  of  any  of  the  apostles  are  lost. 

Maria.  Upon  what  grounds  is  this  last  opinion  found¬ 
ed? 

Mr.  B.  Partly  upon  the  uncertainty  that  any  more 
ever  was  written  by  them;  but  principally  from  the  idea 
that,  their  writings  being  inspired,  no  part  would  be  per¬ 
mitted  to  be  lost. 

Edivard.  Such  a  reason  as  this,  however,  could  never 
be  given  to  an  unbeliever,  who  is  supposed,  in  the  first 
instance,  to  have  no  regard  to  arguments  of  this  nature' 
and  might  it  not  be  supposed  that  some  documents  actu¬ 
ally  have  been  suppressed,  from  the  Christians  of  the 
succeeding  age  perceiving  that  they  would  injure  rather 
than  benefit  their  cause,  or  that  they  were  opposed  to 
their  own  wishes  and  views? 

Mr.  B.  You  have  no  evidence  to  support  such  an 
idea. 

Edward.  But  may  it  not  be  allowed,  for  argument’s 
sake,  for  a  moment?  and  if  it  may,  is  it  not  also  con¬ 
ceivable,  that  from  the  suppressed  documents,  Christian- 


32  What  is  the  answer  to  it  of  Mr.  B.t — 33  What  is  the  second  asked 
by  Edward! — 34  Maria  asks,  on  what  the  opinion  is  founded,  that  none 
of  the  writings  of  any  of  the  apostles  are  lost — what  is  the  answer  to  this 
question'! — 36  What  is  the  third  question  of  Edward — and  what  is  the 
answer  to  it”?— 37  Edward  makes  a  supposition,  in  order  to  carry  on  the 
argument — what  is  it  1 

I 

I 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  123 

ity  could  actually  have  been  proved  to  be  founded  in  im¬ 
posture? 

Mr.  B.  That  a  religion  originally  false  could,  by  the 
addition  of  some  documents,  or  suppression  of  others,  be 
made  apparently  true,  is,  in  itself,  one  of  the  most  un¬ 
likely  things  to  happen  that  could  possibly  be  conceiv¬ 
ed;  fot  by  whom  would  the  change  be  made,  and  for 
what  purpose?  Suppose,  now,  that  Clement  of  Alexan¬ 
dria,  in  the  course  of  his  travels  through  Greece,  had 
found  some  manuscripts  by  St.  Paul;  or  that  Origen,  in 
passing  through  Palestine,  had  found  some  additional 
gospels,  by  which  it  was  evident  that  the  whole  of  the 
received  canonical  books  were  cunningly  devised  fables, 
founded  upon  some  obscure  transactions  in  Judea,  and 
owing  all  their  success  to  the  abilities  of  the  writers,  and 
a  number  of  favourable  contingent  circumstances.  Da 
you  think  that  such  men  as  Clement  and  Origen  would 
have  suppressed  these  important  facts?  that  the  former, 
who  had  been  bred  a  Grecian  philosopher,  would  have 
been  disposed  to  acquiesce  in  the  fraud  which  had  de¬ 
ceived  him,  to  embrace  which  he  had  renounced  so  much, 
and  which  he  would  be  aware  could  offer  nothing  in  re¬ 
turn?  or  would  Origen  forget  the  martyrdom  of  his  fath¬ 
er,  and  pursue  a  course  likely  to  lead  himself  to  the  same 
fate?  Certainly  no  learned  Jew  or  Gentile  would  ever, 
after  such  a  discovery,  have  concealed  it,  and  continued 
among  the  followers  of  the  crucified  Jesus,  whom  he 
knew  could  not  be  a  Saviour,  nor  found  hopes  upon  the 
narrative  of  a  resurrection  which  he  knew  to  be  false. 

Edward.  But  might  not  a  document  of  this  kind  have 
existed  which  would  not  so  immediately  lay  Christianity 
open  to  exposure,  but  only  by  implication? 

Mr.  B.  In  that  case,  who  would  suppress  that  of  which, 
he  did  not  perceive  the  tendency  ?  The  eagerness  of  the 
Christians  to  preserve  memorials  of  the  first  planting  of 
the  Gospel  and  of  tHe  life  of  their  Founder,  would  inev- 


38  In  reply  to  this  supposition,  what  does  Mr.  B.  say  is  very  unlikely  I 
— 39  What  supposition  does  Mr.  B,  then  offer  respecting  Clement  and 
Origen'?— 40  And  what  questions  does  he  predicate  upon  the  hypothesis, 
to  convince  Edward  of  the  absurdity  of  his  question? — 41  But  might  not 
•«ch  a  document  have  existed,  impeaching  Christianity  only  by  implication? 


124  conversations  on  the 

itably  have  induced  any  one,  who  did  not  see  of  what  use 
the  document  might  be  made  against  his  faith,  to  publish 
it.  The  reverence  paid  by  the  Christians  to  the  apos¬ 
tolic  writings  could  hardly  fail  to  produce  its  publication, 
and  we  know  that  the  first  Christians  were  by  no  means 
men  of  that  character  who  would  be  likely  to  calculate 
before  hand  what  objections  might,  in  after  ages,  be 
drawn  from  the  documents  they  handed  down  to  posteri¬ 
ty.  When  you  are  acquainted  with  the  writings  of  the 
fathers,  you  will  by  no  means  suspect  any  of  them  of  the 
ability  to  turn  a  false  religion  into  one  which  should  de¬ 
ceive  the  world  for  a  succession  of  ages;  and  you  can 
hardly  imagine  such  a  train  of  chances,  as  that  a  religion, 
the  falsity  of  which  might  originally  be  proved  from  its 
own  documents,  should  yet  have  the  singular  good  for¬ 
tune  to  lose  every  particle  by  which  its  false  pretensions 
could  be  exposed,  and  retain  all  best  calculated  to  fur¬ 
ther  its  success.  To  all  these  chances  you  must  also 
add  the  total  silence  of  history,  the  silence  of  enemies, 
the  silence  of  contending  heresies,  each  eager  to  grasp 
at  the  shadow  of  apostolical  authority  for  their  errors,  or 
at  any  thing  by  which  they  could  discredit  the  received 
doctrines  of  the  church. 

j Edward.  But  is  it  so  certain  that  the  hteretics  were 
wrong,  and  the  Catholic  church  right,  as  to  the  true  doc¬ 
trine  of  Christ? 

Mr.  B.  The  probabilities  are  nearly  equivalent  to  cer¬ 
tainty ;  the  great  difference  between  the  two,  as  far  as  we 
can  ascertain,  seemed  to  be,  in  that  the  church  at  large 
adhered  steadily  to  the  New  Testament,  where  the  oth¬ 
ers  were  making  all  sorts  of  experiments  with  the  relig¬ 
ion,  uniting  it  to  oriental  fables,  or  to  Jewish  prejudices, 
or  to  Grecian  philosophy,  according  to  their  several 
tastes,  and  straining  the  sacred  books  as  far  as  they 


42  What  is  said  of  the  estimation  in  which  the  first  Christians  held  the 
apostolic  writings,  and  also  of  the  character  of  these  men? — 43  On  a  tho¬ 
rough  acquaintance  with  the  writings  of  the  fathers,  how  will  our  feelings 
towards  these  men  be  affected'? — 44  What  is  to  be  added  to  the  foregoing 
chances? — 45  What  reply  is  made  by  Mr.  B.  to  the  question,  whether  it 
is  certain  that  the  heretics  were  wrong,  and  the  church  right,  as  to  the 
doctrine  of  Christ? 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY.  125 

could  to  suit  their  purpose;  and  some,  more  daring  than 
the  rest,  claiming  new  revelations,  or  cutting  out  those 
already  made. 

Maria.  Then  some  of  the  heretics  did  not  receive  the 
books  we  receive? 

Mr.  B.  Jones  mentions  some  who  rejected  particular 
books,  but  it  was  on  the  supposition  of  their  not  being 
genuine ;  an  objection  which  belongs  to  a  future  part  of 
the  subject.  It  is,  however,  well  known,  that  they  were 
very  few  in  number;  that  they  did  so  from  evidently  in¬ 
terested  motives,  and  supported  their  assertions  by  most 
absurd  reasons;  so  that  their  authority  is  of  no  weight. 

Maria.  The  great  reason  for  their  being  accounted  ca¬ 
nonical,  appears  to  have  been  their  being  esteemed  gen¬ 
uine  ;  and  where  the  latter  was  doubtful,  the  former  was 
uncertain. 

Mr.  B.  Such  undoubtedly  was  the  case.  The  Epistle 
to  the  Hebrews  had  no  name  attached  to  it,  as  in  the 
other  Epistles  of  St.  Ppul,  which  occasioned  the  doubt 
respecting  it.  In  the  book  of  Revelation,  the  author 
does  not  call  himself  an  apostle.  In  the  Second  and 
Third  Epistles,  he  simply  calls  himself  “  the  elder.” 
Now  these  circumstances,  though  apparently  trifling, 
might  occasion  some  to  doubt  who  did  not  live  sufficiently 
near  the  places  where  these  books  were  first  published, 
and  the  doubt  might  be  transmitted  when  the  reason  was 
forgotton,  and  thus  an  importance  given  to  it  which  it 
originally  had  not.  The  conduct  of  the  church  at  large, 
in  this  matter,  clearly  shows  that  the  true  ground  of  their 
being  received  as  of  authority,  was  their  being  believed 
to  be  written  by  persons  possessed  of  authority,  viz.  the 
apostles;  for  wherever  the  latter  was  established,  there 
was  no  longer  any  question  as  to  their  being  canonical. 

Edivard.  But  is  it  certain  that  the  Greek  text  is  alto¬ 
gether  the  original  text,  so  that  upon  it  Christianity  may 
rest  ? 


46  What  reply  is  made  to  the  question — if  some  of  the  heretics  did  not 
receive  the  books  we  receive! — 47  What  peculiarity  is  there  in  the  epistle 
to  the  Hebrews,  and  in  the  book  of  Revelation! — 48  What,  is  it  suppos¬ 
ed,  that  these  peculiarities  might  occasion! — 49  What  does  the  church  in 
this  matter  clearly  show! 

11* 


126 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 

Mr.  jB,  IF  it  be  not  altogether  the  original  text,  it  is 
unquestionably  the  only  authorised  text.  It  is,  indeed, 
asserted,  by  all’those  best  able  to  know,  that  St.  Mat¬ 
thew  wrote  in  Hebrew,  i.  e.  in  the  mixed  dialect  at  that 
time  made  use  of  in  Judea;  and  it  is  not  improbable  that 
St.  Paul’s  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  was  originally  written 
in  Hebrew;  but  there  is  no  question  that,  in  both  cases, 
the  Greek  text  we  now  have  was  extant  from  the  earliest 
time ;  and  there  can  be  hardly  any  doubt,  that  if  not,  in 
both  cases,  from  the  apostles’  own  hands,  they  were  writ¬ 
ten  under  their  direction.  The  original  Gospel  of  St. 
Matthew,  at  an  early  period,  must  have  become  useless, 
on  account  of  the  state  of  Judea  and  the  neighbouring 
counties;  and  it  is  not  at  all  surprising,  that  it  should  be 
forg  tten  in  the  superior  usefulness  of  the  Greek  for  gen¬ 
eral  purposes,  even  if  it  be  not  the  case  (as  is  supposed 
by  many  learned  men),  that  having  various  additions 
made  to  it,  by  those  who  possessed  copies,  it  became 
afterwards  known  under  various  names,  as,  “the  Gospel 
according  to  the  Twelve  Apostles,”  “the  Gospel  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  Hebrews;”  till  at  length  it  lost  its  original 
character,  and  ceased  to  have  authority  as  the  original 
record. 

Edward.  Has  there  not  been  some  difference  of  opin¬ 
ion  as  to  the  genuineness  of  the  two  first  chapters  of  St. 
Matthew’s  Gospel? 

Mr.  B.  Objections  have  been  made  to  them,  but  on 
very  insufficient  grounds,  and  I  believe  the  question  is 
now  set  at  rest ;  none  denying  their  genuineness,  but  from 
an  unwillingness  to  acknowledge  their  contents,  than 
which  a  more  absurd  mode  of  proceeding  cannot  be  eas¬ 
ily  conceived:  for  if  any  part  of  the  New  Testament  be 
such  that  it  cannot  be  believed,  the  natural  inference  is 
against  the  whole,  of  which  it  forms  an  integral  part; 
but  if  the  principle  once  be  admitted,  that  such  parts  are 
to  be  cut  out,  because  they  are  contrary  to  our  wishes, 


50  In  what  language  did  Matthew  write! — 51  Which  epistle  was  writ¬ 
ten  in  Hebrew  1-^52  What  is  said  of  their  having  been  early  translated 
into  Greek,  as  now  possessed  by  us! — 53  Under  what  names  has  Mat¬ 
thew’s  Gospel  been  known! — 54  What  is  said  of  the  objections  that  hav® 
been  made  to  the  two  first  chapters  of  this  gospel! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  127 

there  is  no  end  of  reasoning  upon  the  subject.  Similar 
objections  have  been  made  to  the  first  chapters  of  St. 
Luke;  and  various  passages  in  other  parts  of  the  New 
Testament  have  been  marked  out  in  like  manner,  where 
the  authority  of  manuscripts,  versions,  and  quotations,  is 
quite  decisive.  There  is  something  in  this  mode  of  ac¬ 
commodating  Christianity  to  the  wishes  of  individuals, 
that  is  to  me  peculiarly  disgusting.  It  is  unworthy  the 
cause  of  truth,  and  gives  no  great  idea  of  the  talents  of 
him  who  makes  use  of  it.  Questions  of  this  kind  should 
ever  be  met  fairly,  as  they  really  are.  The  canon  of  the 
New  Testament,  its  integrity,  its  genuineness,  and  its 
credibility,  should  be  investigated  with  as  much  acute¬ 
ness,  and  with  as  little  reserve,  as  in  an)i  other  case, 
and  the  truth  be  held,  at  whatever  cost.  I  am  under  no 
fear  that  our  religion  will  ever  lose  by  the  full  investiga¬ 
tion  of  the  really  learned  ;  -  but  the  proof  of  the  truth  of 
Christianity  would  cease  to  be  a  proof  to  me,  if,  in  order 
to  attain  it,  I  was  under  the  necessity  of  rejecting  that 
from  the  canon,  which  had  ever  been  admitted  into  it;  of 
violating  all  the  laws  of  criticism,  to  retain  or  to  get  rid 
of  a  particular  text,  or  every  fair  rule  of  interpretation, 
in  girder  to  make  the  Scriptures  speak  a  language  in 
agreement  with  opinions  derived  from  other  sources 

Edwhrd.  Since  we  shall  now  have  to  refer  to  the  New 
Testament  itself,  will  it  not  become  a  matter  of  import¬ 
ance  what  text  we  make  use  of,  and  what  interpretation 
of  that  text  we  adopt,  in  case  of  various  readings,  or  a 
difference  of  opinion  in  the  commentators? 

Mr.  B.  For  the  text,  there  is  not  that  great  difference 
which  is  likely  to  affect  our  statements,  nor  yet  as  to  the 
interpretation  of  that  text;  in  matters  of  historical  fact, 
with  which  we  have  principally  to  do,  there  being  a  pret¬ 
ty  general  agreement. 

Maria.  If  you  refer  to  the  Greek  text,  and  to  inter- 


55  To  what  other  portions  of  the  New  Testament  have  similar  objec¬ 
tions  been  made! — 56  What  is  said  of  this  mode  of  objecting  to  scripture'? 
— 57  How  should  the  canon  of  the  New  Testament  be  investigated? — 58 
Under  what  circumstances  would  the  proof  of  the  truth  of  Christianity 
Cease  to  be  proof! — 59  What  is  the  last  question  of  Edward  in  this  con¬ 
versation'! — 60  How  does  Mr.  B.  reply  to  it? 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


128 

pretations  of  it,  and  to  arguments  drawn  from  thence,  it 
will  be  impossible  for  me  to  understand  you,  my  dear 
father. 

Mr.  B.  There  must  be  reference  occasionally  to  it 
but  you  will  not  have  any  great  difficulty,  I  trust,  in 
comprehending  the  nature  of  the  arguments  thence  ad¬ 
duced,  even  if  you  do  not  see  their  whole  force. 


CONVERSATION  IX. 

Maria.  Wiiat  is  the  precise  meaning  of  the  word  gen¬ 
uine,  as  applied  to  the  subject  before  us? 

Mr.  B.  A  book  is  genuine,  when  written  by  the  author 
whose  name  it  bears;  a  book  may,  in  some  cases,  be 
canonical,  where  there  is  some  degree  of  uncertainty  as 
to  the  author;  and  a  book  may  be  genuine,  where  it  can¬ 
not  be  admitted  as  canonical.  '  It  has  been  a  question* 
for  instance,  by  whom  the  Epistle  of  St.  James  was  writ¬ 
ten,  some  assigning  it  to  the  son  of  Zebedee  and  brother 
of  St.  John,  and  others  to  the  bishop  of  Jerusalepn,  who 
is  said  to  have  been  a  near  relation  of  our  Lord.  *  In  ei¬ 
ther  case  the  book  would  be  canonical,  as  the  production 
of  an  apostle,  and  a  difference  of  opinion  may  safely  be 
allowed  in  a  matter  where  certainty  cannot  be  obtained. 
Again,  we  have  an  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians,  by  the 
Clement  mentioned  in  St.  Paul’s  Epistles,  the  genuine¬ 
ness  of  which  appears  fully  established,  but  which,  though 
very  valuable  as  an  ancient  record,  never  was  held  ca¬ 
nonical,  not  being  the  production  of  one  of  those  imme¬ 
diately  designated  by  the  Founder  of  the  religion  as  its 
authorised  teachers  and  governors. 

— - * - — 

61  With  what  remarks  of  Maria  and  Mr.  B.  is  the  conversation  fin¬ 
ished! 

1  With  what  question  does  Maria  .commence  the  ninth  conversation! — 
2  What  is  said  of  the  terms  canonical  and  genuine! — 3  How  is  this  illus¬ 
trated  by  reference  to  the  epistle  of  James! — 4  How  is  it  illustrated  bjr 
reference  to  that  of  Clement! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


129 

"Edward.  But  with  regard  to  the  books  of  the  New 
Testament,  it  is  asserted  that  they  are  canonical,  because 
they  are  genuine.  The  proof,  however,  of  the  former, 
does  not  to  us  necessarily  demonstrate  the  latter. 

Mr.  B.  It  does  not;  for  the  first  Christians  might  pos¬ 
sibly  have  been  mistaken  in  believing  them  genuine,  and 
therefore  have  erred  in  constituting  them  canonical:  but 
since  they  were  unquestionably  the  best  judges  in  every 
thing  relative  to  these  books,  their  decision  ought  to  be 
sufficient  proof  to  us,  in  case  no  positive  proof  can  be 
established  against  the  genuineness  of  these  writings; 
and  this  we  can  only  obtain  from  the  internal  evidence 
derived  from  an  examination  of  the  books  themselves, 
there  being  no  external  evidence  against  it. 

Maria.  Do  none  of  the  ancient  adversaries  controvert 
thfe  genuineness  of  these  writings? 

Mr.  B.  Not  one;  and  their  conduct,  in  this  respect, 
proves  that  they  could  not  overthrow  it. 

Maria.  How  so? 

Mr.  B.  Because  it  would  have  afforded  the  readiest 
way  of  overthrowing  the  whole:  it  is  evident  that  they 
were  grievously  embarrassed  by  the  statements  of  the 
New  Testament;  and  had  any  grounds  for  it  existed,  a 
sufficient  length  of  time  elapsed  to  have  presented  this 
method  of  attack  to  them:  but  Julian  admits  the  fact  of 
their  genuineness  as  undeniable,  and  argues  from  thence; 
he  speaks  of  the  greater  number  of  the  writers  of  the 
New  Testament  by  name;  and  indeed  his  attack  upon 
Christianity  is  to  us  invaluable,  as  from  the  learning,  the 
talents,  and  the  rancorous  hatred  to  Christianity  of  this 
opponent,  we  are  certain  that  he  would  never  have  re¬ 
garded  these  records  as  genuine,  had  there  been  the  least 
ground  for  opposition.  Porphyry,  in  like  manner,  at  an 
earlier  period,  mentions,  in  the  few  fragments  which  yet 
remain,  the  Gospels  of  St.  Matthew,  St.  Mark,  and  St. 
John,  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  and  the  Epistle  to  the 


5  What  does  Edward  say  of  the  books  of  the  New  Testament,  touching 
this  matter'? — 6  What  is  the  reply  to  him  of  Mr.  B? — 7  Is  the  genuine¬ 
ness  of  these  writings  converted  by  none  of  the  ancient  adversaries'? — 8 
What  does  Julian  admit1? — 9  What  is  said  df  Porphyry,  in  relation  to  the 
same  subject1? 


130 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


Galatians;  and  from  his  conduct  we  may  draw  a  similar 
inference. 

Maria.  This  is  certainly  very  much  in  their  favour; 
but  did  Celsus  do  the  same? 

Mr.  B.  Celsus  does  not  quote  by  name;  and  therefore 
only  establishes  the  existence  of  the  words  of  the  New 
Testament  at  the.  period  in  which  he  wrote.  Now  con¬ 
sider,  in  addition  to  this,  the  vast  force  of  the  argument 
derived  from  these  books  having  been  constituted  canon¬ 
ical,  because  believed  to  be  genuine,  towards  establish¬ 
ing  the  fact  of  their  genuineness.  Admitting  that  possi¬ 
bly  the  adversaries  of  Christianity  had  not  the  means  of 
proving  them  spurious,  had  any  means  of  so  doing  exist¬ 
ed,  the  Christians  could  not  have  been  destitute  of  those 
means. 

Maria.  But  they  had  no  wish  to  prove  them  spurious; 
and  therefore,  if  the  means  were  in  their  hands,  they 
would  not  use  it,  perhaps  not  perceiv^  it. 

Mr.  B.  But  why  should  they  wish  to  prove  these  re¬ 
cords  genuine,  had  they  never  existed?  I  know  not  how 
the  Christian  assertions,  as  to  their  religion  and  its 
Founder,  could  have  been  disproved;  Christianity  did 
not  so  necessarily  depend  upon  these  documents,  that  it 
must  have  fallen  with  them.  They  were,  most  probably, 
disposed  to  wish  Christianity  true;  and  if,  indeed,  they, 
continued  in  the  church,  they  must  have  been  aware, 
that  if  it  were  not  true,  they  were  of  all  men  the  most 
miserable.  They  also  had  in  their  hands  these  records, 
but  it  does  not  follow  that  they  should  feel  an  equal  zeal 
to  prove  th*se  true;  for  the  great  stimulus  in  those  times 
was  the  hope  of  a  joyful  resurrection,  and  the  great  foun¬ 
dation  of  it  was  the  fact  of  the  resurrection  of  the  Foun¬ 
der  of  their  religion.  Now  this  hope,  though  it  would 
have  been  weakened,  and  this  fact  rendered  more  uncer¬ 
tain,  by  the  want  of  genuineness  in  these  writings,  yet 
would  not  have  been  so  entirely  done  away,  as  to  be  put 


TO  And  what  is  said  of  Celsus,  in  relation  to  it1? — 11  What,  in  addi¬ 
tion  to  this,  is  to  be  considered! — 12  Would  Christians  have  been  likely 
to  prove- the  scriptures  spurious,  had  they  been  able  to  do  it!— 13  Why 
not! — 14  What  is  said  of  tha  influence  exerted  on  their  Christian  hope, 
provided  they  doubted  the  genuineness  of  these  writings'? 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY.  131 

into  competition  with  what  to  numbers  must  have  been 
the  greatest  trial,  viz.  the  pure  and  holy  life  inculcated  in 
these  writings ;  which  is  so  contrary  to  what  we  know  to 
have  been  the  general  practice  of  the  world,  that  it  seems 
wholly  incredible  that  men  should  have  tied  themselves 
down  to  its  observance,  without  the  fullest  conviction 
that  the  authority  which  commanded  it  was.  paramount. 

Maria.  And  that  authority  evidently  depended  on  the 
genuineness  of  these  writings,  which  therefore  they 
would  not  have  acknowledged  but  upon  conviction. 

Mr.  B.  You  must  ever  bear  this  in  milid,  that  the  New 
Testament  was  not  to  them  a  mere  record  of  facts  and 
opinions,  which  some  might  believe,  and  others  not;  it 
was,  indeed,  a  record  of  facts,  but  of  facts  to  which  they 
were  to  be  ready  to  bear  witness  with  their  blood;  a  re¬ 
cord  of  precepts,  on  the  observance  of  which  depended 
all  their  hopes  of  salvation.  So  long  as  the  New  Testa¬ 
ment  existed,  and  the  persecutions  of  the  church  conti¬ 
nued,  (and  who  could  hope  that  if  the  former  was  pro¬ 
mulgated  the  latter  would  cease  ?)  the  Christian  was  tied 
down  to  a  line  of  conduct,  such  as  the  world  had  known 
no  instance  of  before;  “  to  resist  not  evil;”  “to  do  good 
unto  them  that  hate  you,  and  pray  for  those  that  despite- 
fully  use  you  and  persecute  you;”  “  to  return  good  for 
evil;”  “  to  be  ready  to  lay  down  their  lives  for  the  bre¬ 
thren,” — were  precepts,  when  connected  with  religious 
authority ,  such  as  the  world  had  never  seen  before.  Some 
philosopher  might  have  approximated  to  one,  and  some 
patriot  occasionally  exemplified  another;  but  to  make 
precepts  like  these  universally  binding,  had  never  enter¬ 
ed  into  the  imagination  of  any  one,  before  the  promul¬ 
gation  of  Christianity,  and  it  is  impossible  that  they 
would  have  been  allowed  as  such  upon  any  but  the  great¬ 
est  authority. 

Maria.  And  all  the  authority  rested  uppn  these  books, 
so  that  if  they  could  haye  proved  these  spurious,  they 
might  have  retained  what  they  liked,  and  discarded  the 
rest.  •  • 

15  On  what  does  Maria  say  that  the  authority  of  these  writings  depend¬ 
ed! — 16  What  does  Mr.  B.  tell  her  she  must  ever  bear  in  mind  ! — 17  To 
what  novel  rules  of  conduct  was  the  Christian  bound  by  his  religion! — 18 
H*ow  would  the  philosopher  and  patriot  liave  viewed  such  rules! 


132 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


Mr.  B.  Again,  there  is  a  sobriety  in  Christianity  as 
delivered  in  the  New  Testament,  amidst  all  its  high 
claims,  which  must  have  been  a  grievous  restraint  on 
any  other  supposition  than  that  of  its  truth;  the  yoke  of 
Christ  would  then  be  easy,  and  his  burden. light:  but  if 
any  doubt  had  attached  to  the  genuineness  of  these  writ¬ 
ings,  I  think  the  Christian  world  would  never  have  been 
kept  so  long  in  subjection  by  them,  when  the  common 
passions  of  mankind  must  have  strongly  prompted  a  dif¬ 
ferent  line  of  conduct.  You  may  see  in  Gibbon  how  in¬ 
timately  Paganjsm  was  interwoven  with  the  constitution 
of  civil  society,  Jiow  much  it  affected  every  walk  of  life; 
you  may  see,  by  the  conduct  of  the  more  virtuous  em¬ 
perors,  in  what  a  strange  situation  the  world  was  placed 
by  the  pretensions  of  Christianity;  and  then  you  may 
form  some  estimate  of  the  degree  of  assurance  which  the 
Christian  must  have  possessed,  to  induce  him  to  perse¬ 
vere  in  a  course  which  compelled  him  to  go  so  far,  and 
permitted  him  to  go  no  farther;  which  commanded  him 
to  “live  soberly,  righteously,  and  godly;”  “to  seek 
peace,  and  ensue  it;”  “in  all  simplicity  and  godly  sin¬ 
cerity  to  have  his  conversation  in  the  world;”  “to  do 
good  unto  all  men,  especially  them  that  were  of  the 
household  of  faith;”  and  yet  forbade  the  least  approach¬ 
es  to  the  sinful  habits  and  practices  of  those  by  whom  he 
was  surrounded;  and  compelled  him  to  become,  in  the 
eyes  of  others,  “  a  .fool,  that  he  might  win  Christ;”  to 
account  it  “  all  joy  when  he  fell  into  affliction;”  and  in 
all  respects  to  act  on  principles  which  even  the  wise  and 
good  among  the  heathen  could  not  understand,  and  which 
the  most  merciful  princes  hardly  could  tolerate. 

Edward.  Had  the  New  Testament  allowed  the  Christ¬ 
ians  to  propagate  their ,  religion  by  the  readiest  means 
which  presented,  or  to  compound  for  the  loss  of  some 
pleasures  by  indulgence  in  others,  we  could  not  have 


19  How  would  the  sobriety  of  Christianity  have  operated  with  its  fol¬ 
lowers,  on  their  l^lief  in  its  genuineness'! — 20  What  may  we  see  in  Gib¬ 
bon  relating  to  this  subject^ — 21  A  her  seeing  his  statements,  of  what  is 
it  said  that  we  may  form  some  estimate'? — 22  What  circumstances  might 
well  have  led  Christians  to  careless  habits  of  investigation  in  relation  to 
the  genuineness  of  the  scriptures  1 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


133 


wondered  at  their  not  too  narrowly  investigating  its  gen¬ 
uineness;  but  its  severe  restrictions,  and  claims  to  entire 
obedience  in  a  line  of  conduct  which  must  render  them 
obnoxious  to  others,  would  certainly,  one  would  think, 
render  them  cautious  in  admitting  its  authority. 

Mr.  B.  But,  beyond  all  this,  we  know  that  there  was 
a  tendency  in  the  Christians  to  go  beyond  the  letter  of 
the  New  Testament  in  some  things,  and  fall  short  of  it 
in  others:  their  own  practice  is  a  sufficient  proof  that 
there  was  a  necessity  of  admitting  the  genuineness  of 
these  books  which  could  not  be  overcome.  The  conduct 
of  heretics  proves  the  same.  The  steady  light  of  the 
Gospel  was  ever  fatal  to  the  phantoms  of  darkness,  which 
were  forced  to  retire  into  an  obscurity  alone  able  to  give 
them  some  resemblance  of  reality. 

Edivard.  How  did  those  heretics  act  who  disputed  the 
genuineness  of  the  New  Testament? 

Mr.  B.  The  most  important  of  these  objectors  were  the 
Manichaeans,  of  whom  “  Faustus  pre-supposes  the  New 
Testament  to  contain  a  variety  of  true  accounts  relating 
to  the  actions  and  doctrines  of  Christ  and  his  apostles; 
but  that  the  several  books  are  not  merely  interpolated 
(in  which  case  the  question  would  belong  to  another  part 
of  this  work),  but  composed  by  certain  unknown  persons, 
who,  living  in  a  much  later  period  than  those  to  whom 
these  writings  are  ascribed,  have  confounded  in  their 
narratives  truth  with  falsehood.” — Michaelis,  vol.  i.  p.  18. 

Eduard.  What  answer  is  given  to  this  supposition? 

Mr.  B.  Michaelis  replies: 

1.  It  is  not  certain  that  all  Manichaeans  thought  like 
Faustus. 

2.  Even  if  Manes,  their  founder,  thus  thought,  yet  he 
only  lived  in  the  middle  of  the  third  century;  he  was  a 
stranger,  and  totally  unqualified,  from  ignorance  of 
Greek,  to  form  an  adequate  judgment. 

3.  Faustus,  who  lived  130  years  later,  was  equally 


23  But  what  ones  must  have  rendered  them  cautious! — 24  How  does 
Mr.  B.  reply  to  Edward  in  speaking  upon  these  points'! — 25  How  did  the 
heretics  conduct,  that  disputed  the  genuineness  of  the  New  Testament? — 
26  What  are  the  two  first  propositions  of  Michaelis  to  the  hypothesis  of 
Faustus? 


12 


134 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


unqualified  to  investigate  the  subject,  being  illiterate  in 
the  highest  degree. 

4.  His  arguments  are  not  built  on  historical  ground, 
but  on  principles  which  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  sub- 
ject. 

5.  It  was  the  practice  of  the  sect  to  reject  all  princi¬ 
ples  which  did  not  correspond  with  their  philosophy:  and, 
lastly, 

The  answer  which  Augustin  gave  at  the  time — 

“For  the  same  reasons  for  which  the  writings  of  Hip¬ 
pocrates  and  other  Greek  or  Roman  authors  are  main¬ 
tained  to  be  genuine,  we  conclude  the  books  of  the  New 
Testament  to  have  been  written  by  the  persons  to  whom 
they  are  ascribed.” 

Edward.  These  reasons  are  very  satisfactory.  Have 
there  been  any  similar  attempts  to  disprove  the  genuine¬ 
ness  of  the  New  Testament? 

Mr.  B.  You  will  find  in  Michaelis  an  account  of  a 
singular  supposition  against  it,  which  was  advanced  by 
an  Italian,  in  a  letter  to  Le  Clerc,  and  which  Le  Clerc 
confuted,  though  too  absurd  to  deserve  it.  I  would  re¬ 
commend  you  carefully  to  read  the  whole  of  the  admira¬ 
ble  chapter  on  the  Authenticity  of  the  New  Testament, 
in  Michaelis,  with  reference  to  the  notes  of  Bishop 
Marsh.  Of  this  chapter  the  translator  observes,  “  In 
the  chapter  which  relates  to  the  authenticity  of  the  New 
Testament,  the  evidence  both  external  and  internal  is 
arranged  in  so  clear  and  intelligible  a  manner,  as  to  af¬ 
ford  conviction  even  to  those  who  have  never  engaged  in 
theological  inquiries:  and  the  experienced  critic  will  find 
the  subject  discussed  in  so  full  and  comprehensive  a 
manner,  that  he  will  probably  pronounce  it  the  most 
complete  essay  on  the  authenticity  of  the  New  Testa¬ 
ment  that  ever  was  published.” — Pref.  p.  iii. 

Maria.  What  is  the  meaning  of  the  word  authenticity? 
is  it  the  same  as  genuine  ? 

Mr.  B.  You  must  take  Bishop  Marsh’s  definition,  as 
it  is  to  him  I  refer, 

27  W licit  is  the  fourth  oriel — 28  What  is  the  fifth  one'? — 29  What  is 
the  answer  of  Augustin?— 30  Have  any  attempts  been  made  to  disprove 
the  genuineness  of  the  New  Testament? 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


135 

“  Some  writers  use  the  term  authentic  in  so  extensive 
a  sense,  as  to  make  it  include  both  the  question  of  au¬ 
thorship,  and  the  question  of  fidelity  and  truth.  ‘In  this 
acceptation  of  the  term,  a  book,  though  genuine,  if  writ¬ 
ten  by  the  person  to  whom  it  is  ascribed,  is  not  authen¬ 
tic,  unless  the  accounts  which  it  contains  are  worthy  of 
credit. 

“  Instead  of  employing  the  terms  genuineness  and  au¬ 
thenticity,  I  employ  the  terms  authenticity  and  credibility; 
the  former  to  denote  that  a  book  was  written  by  the  au¬ 
thor  to  whom  it  is  ascribed,  the  latter  to  denote  that  the 
contents  of  the  book  are  justly  entitled  to  our  assent.” — 
Led.  Part  V.  pp.  3,  4. 

Maria.  It  is,  then,  used  in  a  sense  corresponding  to 
that  of  genuine.  But  what  is  the  method  pursued  by 
Michaelis  in  this  proof? 

Mr.  B.  It  is  divided  into,  twelve  sections,  as  follows: 

§  1 .  Importance  of  this  inquiry,  and  its  influence  on 
the  question  of  the  Divine  origin  of  the  Christian  religion. 

§  2.  Of  objections  made  to  these  writings  in  general, 
and  of  those  of  Faustus  the  Manichsean  in  particular. 

3.  The  New  Testament  is  proved  to  be  genuine  on 
the  same  grounds  as  the  works  of  profane  authors. 

^  4.  Positive  grounds  for  the  authenticity  of  the  New 
Testament. 

§  5.  Impossibility  of  a  forgery,  arising  from  the  nature 
of  the  thing  itself. 

§  6.  Testimonies  of  the  fathers  and  other  Christian 
writers  of  the  first  centuries. 

§  7.  Testimonies  of  the  heretics  of  the  first  centuries. 

§  S.  Jewish  and  heathen  testimonies  for  the  authentici¬ 
ty  of  the  New  Testament. 

§  9.  Ancient  versions. 

§  10.  Internal  evidence;  and,  first,  that  derived  from 
the  style  of  the  New  Testament. 

§  11.  Coincidence  of  the  accounts  delivered  in  the 
New  Testament  with  the  history  of  those  times. 


31  What  is  the  meaning  of  the  word  authentic! — 32  How  is  the  argu¬ 
ment  of  Michaelis  divided! — 33  Which  are  the  two  first  of  them! — 34 
Which  are  the  third  and  fourth! — 35  Which  are  the  five  next  ones! — 36 
What  are  the  tenth,  the  eleventh,  and  the  twelfth! 


136 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


§  12.  Objections  drawn  from  real  or  apparent  contra- 
i  dictions  between  the  accounts  of  profane  authors  and 
those  of  the  New  Testament,  particularly  those  of  St. 
Luke. 

Edward.  Several  of  these  particulars  would  appear  to 
affect  the  “  credibility”  as  well  as  the  **  authenticity”  of 
the  New  Testament. 

Mr.  B.  They  do  in  the  same  manner  that  the  testimo¬ 
nies  for  the  canonical  authority  of  the  New  Testament 
equally  affect  its  genuineness. 

Edward.  Bishop  Marsh  has  also  written  upon  the  same 
subject. 

Mr.  B.  He  arranges  the  proofs  of  the  authenticity  un¬ 
der  the  general  heads  of  external  and  internal  evidence. 
In  the  first  he  begins  with  the  end  of  the  fourth  century, 
and  ascends  from  thence  to  the  age  which  was  next  to 
that  of  the  apostles,  producing  in  order  the  testimonies 
of  Jerome,  Gregory  of  Nazmnzum,  Epiphanius,  Atha¬ 
nasius,  Eusebius,  Origen,  Tertullian,  Clement  of  Alex¬ 
andria,  and  Irenaeus.  He  then  again  takes  up  the  sub¬ 
ject  from  the  statement  of  Eusebius,  and  argues  from 
the  facts  of  the  case  with  regard  to  the  books  which  had 
been  universally  received,  and  those  which  had  only  par¬ 
tially  been  acknowledged,  and  confirms  the  authenticity 
of  each  by  arguments  applying  specially  to  them.  Last¬ 
ly,  he  connects  the  results  so  obtained  with  the  testimo¬ 
ny  of  the  apostolic  fathers,  and  thus  establishes  his  proof 
from  external  evidence. 

With  regard  to  the  internal  evidence,  he  shows,  first, 
its  agreement  and  confirmation  of  the  external  evidence ; 
then,  advancing  further,  he  proves,  that  in  this  particular 
it  establishes  the  genuineness  of  the  writings  independent¬ 
ly  of  external  evidence,  because  the  hooks  coxdd  not  have 
been  written  by  any  person  who  was  not  contemporary  with 
the  events  described,  which,  with  other  important  matter, 
is  developed  with  singular  felicity  and  address.  Lastly, 


37  How  does  Mr.  B.  say  that  some  of  these  particulars  affedt  the  charac¬ 
ter  of  the  New  Testament  scriptures'? — 38  How  does  Bishop  Marsh  ar¬ 
range  the  proofs  of  its  authenticity'! — 39  How  did  he  proceed  in  the  exhi¬ 
bition  of  these  proofs'? — 40  How  did  he  proceed  with  regard  to  the  inter¬ 
nal  evidence! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


137 


from  connecting  the  conclusions  thus  obtained  with  that 
proof  already  given  by  external  aid,  he  deduces  the  im¬ 
portant  fact,  “that  the  books  of  the  New  Testament 
must  be  the  productions  of  the  persons  whose  names 
they  bear.” 

Maria.  Will  you  give  us  some  illustrations  of  the  meth¬ 
od  of  proof  made  use  of  in  these  works? 

Mr.  B.  As  you  must  be  aware,  that  our  time  does  not 
allow  of  many,  I  shall  pass  over  the  external  testimony 
(strong  as  it  is),  since  it  would  be  only  a  repetition  of 
quotations  from  the  works  of  the  fathers,  and  endeavour 
to  give  you,  in  preference,  some  idea  of  the  force  of  the 
internal  evidence. 

Edward.  But  no  internal  evidence,  I  should  think, 
could  prove  the  genuineness  of  any  works  in  any  case; 
and  in  this  we  know  nothing  of  the  authors  but  from  their 
own  account. 

Mr.  B.  We  know,  perhaps,  as  much  of  these  authors, 
from  the  accounts  of  others,  as  we  do  of  many  writers, 
of  the  genuineness  of  whose  works  we  entertain  no' 
doubt;  b.ut  you  must  remember  that  the  external  evi¬ 
dence,  as  far  as  it  goes,  is  altogether  in  favour  of  the  gen¬ 
uineness  of  these  records.  Of  that  there  is  no  question: 
it  only  remains  to  examine  whether  the  internal  evidence 
is  such  as  to  prove  the  external  evidence  false.  Now 
we  not  only  assert  that  it  confirms  the  external  evidence, 
but  that  it  goes  so  far  beyond  it,  that,  had  we  had  no 
external  evidence  at  all,  the  internal  evidence  alone 
would  have  afforded  the  strongest  grounds  of  presump¬ 
tion  for  the  genuineness  of  these  books. 

First,  then,  with  regard  to  the  general  appearance  of 
the  New  Testament,  every  thing  corroborates  the  Chris¬ 
tian  statement  as  to  its  origin,  and  nothing  can  be  found 
to  militate  against  it;  an  argument  of  such  great  weight, 
that  it  approaches  very  nearly  to  impossibility  for  such 
an  agreement  to  subsist  in  a  work  of  this  nature,  in  the 
case  of  deception. 

41  In  the  conclusion,  what  inference  does  he  drawl — 42  To  v/hat  does 
Mr-  B.  now  propose  to  proceed! — 43  What  does  he  say  is  the  amount  of 
the  external  evidence  adduced! — 44  How  does  he  intend  to  use  the  inter¬ 
nal  evidence! — 45  What  is  the  general  appearance  of  the  New  Testament! 

12* 


138 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


Marin.  I  do  Hot  see  why. 

Mr.  B.  The  New  Testament  is  supposed  to  have  been 
written  by  eight  different  authors,  and  consists  of  twenty- 
seven  different  books,  treating  on  a  great  number  of  the 
most  important  subjects,  and  involving  such  an  immense 
number  of  facts  and  arguments,  with  so  many  modifica¬ 
tions  and  combinations  of  them,  that  it  seems  wholly  in¬ 
credible  that  (on  the  supposition  of  their  being  spurious) 
no  positive  proof  against  them  should  be  deducible  from 
them.  Now,  these  books  have  been  more  carefully  ex¬ 
amined,  more  canvassed,  and  more  disputed  upon,  than 
any  others  which  were  ever  produced;  and  yet  all  the 
attention  which  has  yet  been  bestowed  upon  them,  has 
been  unequal  to  detect  one  passage  sufficient  to  over¬ 
throw  their  genuineness. 

Maria.  This  is  certainly  much  in  their  favour,  when 
the  length  of  time  (seventeen  hundred  years),  and  the 
various  dispositions  of  those  who  have  written  upon  the 
subject,  are  considered. 

Mr.  B.  But  to  descend  to  particulars;  the  language  is 
precisely  such  as  it  ought  to  be,  in  the  supposition  of  its 
being  genuine. 

Maria.  Might  not  this  equally  be  the  case  if  spurious? 

Mr.  B.  No:  the  language  fixes  almost  to  a  certainty 
both  the  country  and  the  time  of  the  authors. 

Maria.  In  what  manner?  It  is  only  Greek,  and  they 
were  Jews. 

Mr.  B.  But  it  is  a  peculiar  kind  of  Greek,  such  as 
Jews  only  could  write;  such  as  could  only  be  written  by 
Jews  for  a  very  limited  period.  “  The  first  and  princi¬ 
pal  of  the  internal  marks  of  authenticity  is  the  language 
of  the  New  Testament,  which  is  written  in  a  style  that 
must  be  striking,  not  only  to  every  man  accustomed  to 
the  Greek  of  the  classic  authors,  but  even  to  those  who 
are  acquainted  only  with  the  writings  of  the  fathers.  It 
is  principally  distinguished  by  the  Hebraisms  and  Syri- 


46  By  how  many  different  persons  was  the  New  Testament  written,  and 
of  what. does  it  consist! — 47  What  attention  has  been  paid  to  these  books'? 
— 48  What  is  said  of  the  language? — 49  Might  not  the  language  be  as  if 
is,  if  the  work  were  spurious? — 00  Why  not? — 51  What  does  Michaeli-. 
say  upon  this  subject? 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


139 


asms  with  which  these  writings  abound;  a  circumstance 
too  often  considered  as  a  fault,  which  pious  ignorance, 
even  so  late  as  the  present  century,  has  attempted  to 
wipe  away;  not  knowing  that  these  very  deviations  from 
Grecian  purity  afford  the  strongest  presumption  in  its 
favour.  They  show  it  to  have  been  written  by  men  of  He¬ 
brew  origin,  a  production  therefore  of  the  first  century; 
since,  after  the  decease  of  Jewish  converts  to  Christian- 
ity,  we  find  hardly  any  instance  of  Jews  who  turned 
preachers  of  the  Gospel;  and  the  Christian  fathers  were, 
for  the  most  part,  totally  ignorant  of  Hebrew.” — Micha- 
elis,  vol.  i.  p.  45. 

Edward.  But  might  not  this  be  an  artful  imitation,  the 
effect  of  design? 

Mr.  B.  -W e  are  not  aware  of  the  existence  of  any  one 
able  to  have  produced  a  spurious  work  couched  in  such 
language;  and  there  is  not  the  least  appearance  of  de¬ 
sign.  “Nor  have  these  idioms  the  appearance  of  art 
and  design,  being  exactly  such  as  might  be  expected 
from  persons  who  used  a  language,  spoken  indeed  where 
they  lived,  but  not  the  dialect  of  their  country.  And  if 
the  New  Testament  were  a  forgery  of  the  second  or  third 
century,  its  author,  the  better  to  disguise  his  imposture, 
must  have  studied  to  imitate  the  style  of  writing  which 
might  have  been  expected  from  the  apostles;  a  supposi¬ 
tion  totally  incredible ;  for  the  lower  order  of  Christians 
were  too  deficient  in  criticism  to  perceive  these  various 
shades,  and  possessed  too  little  taste  to  execute  the  un¬ 
dertaking  with  success;  while  the  learned  fathers  of  the 
second  and  two  following  centuries  exercised  their  tal¬ 
ents  in  searching  into  the  authenticity  of  the  writings 
already  received:  and  had  the  fathers  of  those  ages  been 
inclined  to  impose,  they  were  mostly  devoid  of  the  means, 
since  those  who  were  ignorant  of  Hebrew  and  Syriac 
would  hardly  introduce  Hebraisms  and  Syriasms  into 
their  writings.  The  Nazarines,  on  the  contrary,  who 
understood  Hebrew,  accepted  only  the  Gospel  of  St. 

52  Edward  anks — if  this  might  not  have  been  an  artful  imitation — what 
is  the  rep ly  of  Mr.  B.1 — 53  How  do  the  idioms  appear”? — 54  If  the  New 
Testament  were  a  forgery  of  the  second  or  third  century,  what  must  the 
author  have  done”? 


140 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


Matthew,  and  must  therefore  remain  innocent  of  the 
charge  of  having  forged  the  rest  of  the  sacred  writings. 
The  difficulty  of  imitating  the  Oriental  style  is  felt  only 
by  those  who  are  conversant  with  the  eastern  writers; 
and  the  modern  novels,  written  even  by  men  of  taste  and 
genius,  under  the  title  of  ‘Oriental  Tales,’  are  as  distant 
from  the  Asiatic  mode  of  writing,  as  they  differ  from  the 
European.  And  yet  if  the  New  Testament  be  a  forge¬ 
ry,  the  Christians  of  the  second  and  third  century  must 
be  supposed  capable  of  an  imitation,  which  cannot  be 
distinguished  from  an  original.  On  the  contrary,  the 
language  of  the  early  fathers,  though  not  always  the 
purest  classic  Greek,  has  no  resemblance  to  that  of  the 
New  Testament,  not  excepting  the  works  of  the  few  who 
had  a  knowledge  of  the  Hebrew,  Origenes  Epiphanius, 
or  Justin  Martyr,  from  whom,  as  a  native  of  Palestine, 
it  might,  with  some  reason,  be  expected.” 

Maria.  To  what  time  does  the  language  of  the  books 
a>f  the  New  Testament  appear  to  limit  the  date  of  its 
composition? 

Mr.  B.  The  opinion  of  Michaelis  is,  that  they  must 
have  been  written  before  the  year  120. 

Edward.  But  this  only  proves  in  general  that  their  ori¬ 
gin  must  have  been  before  that  date,  and  that  they  were 
of  Jewish  extraction.  It  does  not  establish  their  being 
independent  authors. 

Mr.  B.  No :  for  this,  we  must  examine  the  style  of 
each.  “But  similar  as  these  writings  are  to  each  other  in 
Oriental  idioms,  they  are  equally  distinct  and  characistic 
in  the  particular  style  of  their  respective  authors.  They 
cannot,  then,  have  proceeded  from  the  hands  of  a  single 
impostor;  and  the  supposition  of  their  being  an  acciden¬ 
tal  collection  of  spurious  writings  from  different  authors, 
is  attended  nearly  with  the  same  difficulties  as  the  former 
hypothesis.  Whoever  reads  with  attention  the  thirteen 

\  55  What  would  have  been  the  difficulty  of'imitating  the  Oriental  style1? 

— 56  What  must  we  suppose  of  the  Christians  of  the  second  and  third  cen¬ 
tury,  if  the  New  Testament  were  a  forgery  ] — 57  What  is  said  of  the  lan¬ 
guage  of  the  early  fathers? — 58  What  is  the  limit  of  the  date  of  the  com¬ 
position  of  the  New  Testament? — 59  How  is  the  authorship  of  each  book 
to  be  established? — 60  Why  could  not  these  books  have  been  produced  by 
the  same  impostor? 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


141 


epistles  of  St;  Paul  (for  at  present  I  do  not  include  the 
Epistle  to  the  Hebrews),  must  be  convinced  that  they 
were  all  written  by  the  same  author,  who  has  so  many 
distinguishing  marks,  that  he  is  not  easy  to  be  mistaken. 
On  all  these  thirteen  epistles  is  impressed  the  character 
of  a  man  well  versed  in  the  Greek  language,  and  pos¬ 
sessed  of  general  erudition,  who  could  use  the  finest  and 
even  the  severest  irony,  without  rejecting  the  rules  of 
decency;  but  who,  in  consequence  of  his  Jewish  original, 
and  his  indifference  with  respect  to  style,  abounded  in 
Hebraisms  and  Syriasms,  and  sometimes  borrowed  from 
the  place  of  his  birth  even  the  provincial  expressions  of 
Cilicia.  An  equal  degree  of  similarity  is  to  be  found 
between  the  Gospel  and  Epistle  of  St.  John;  and  the  only 
compositions  of  the  same  author  which,  notwithstanding 
their  general  resemblance,  betray  a  difference  of  style, 
are  the  Gospel  of  St.  Luke  and  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles; 
his  Gospel  abounding  with  harsh  and  uncouth  Hebra¬ 
isms;  while  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  though  not  free 
from  Hebraisms,  are  written  in  a  language  that  approach-  * 
es  nearer  to  purity  and  classical  correctness.  The  reason 
of  this  difference  Avill  be  explained  at  large  in  the  Second; 
Part.” 

Maria.  If  I  understand  the  argument  right,  it  would 
have  been  as  impossible  for  any  one  to  have  produced 
writings  of  this  nature,  in  a  dialect  which  was,  when  spo¬ 
ken,  confined  to  a  particular  district,  after  that  dialect 
had  become  extinct,  as  for  a  person  now  to  write  in  the 
old  Norman  French  of  the  middle  ages  eight  sets  of 
chronicles,  containing  all  sorts  of  allusions  to  things 
which  had  become  obsolete,  and  preserving  different 
styles  for  each  set,  as  well  as  an  obsolete  dialect  for  the 
whole. 

Mr.  B.  And  in  addition  to  this,  you  must  now  take 
into  account  the  difference  of  disposition,  and  the  general 
character  of  mind  developed  in  these  documents,  only  to 


61  OP  what  must  a  person  be  convinced  on  reading  the  epistles  of  Sf. 
Pauli — 62  What  is  impressed  on  them! — 63  Which  of  the  other  books  is 
particularised  in  this  place,  and  what  is  said  of  them'? — 64  What  illustra¬ 
tion  does  Maria  give  of  the  argument? — 65  In  addition  to  this,  what  does 
Mr,  B.  say  must  be  taken  into  the  account? 


CONVERSATION'S  ON  THE 


142 

be  accounted  for  by  the  supposition  of  their  being  genu¬ 
ine.  “The  writings  of  St.  John  and  St.  Paul  discover 
marks  of  an  original  genius,  that  no  imitation  can  ever 
attain,  which  always  betrays  itself  by  the  very  labour 
excited  to  cover  the  deception;  and  if  we  consider  at¬ 
tentively  the  various  qualities  that  compose  the  extraor¬ 
dinary  character  of  the  latter  apostle,  we  shall  find  it  to 
be  such  as  no  art  could  ever  imitate.  His  mind  over¬ 
flows  with  sentiment,  yet  he  never  loses  sight  of  his  prin¬ 
cipal  object,  but,  hurried  on  by  the  rapidity  of  thought, 
discloses  frequently  in  the  middle  a  conclusion  to  be  made 
only  at  the  end.  To  a  profound  knowledge  of  the  Old 
Testament  he  joins  the  acuteness  of  philosophical  wis¬ 
dom,  which  he  displays  in  applying  and  expounding  the 
sacred  writings;  and  his  explanations  are  therefore  some¬ 
times  so  new  and  unexpected,  that  superficial  observers 
might  be  tempted  to  suppose  them  erroneous.  The  fire 
of  his  genius  and  his  inattention  to  style  occasion  fre¬ 
quently  a  two-fold  obscurity;  he  being  often  too  concise 
%  to  be  understood,  except  hy  those  to  whom  he  immedi¬ 
ately  wrote;  and  not  seldom,  on  the  other  hand,  so  full 
of  his  subject,  as  to  produce  long  and  difficult  parenthe¬ 
sis,  and  a  repetition  of  the  same  word,  even  in  different 
senses.  With  a  talent  for  irony  and  satire,  he  unites  the 
most  refined  sensibility,  amd  tempers  the  severity  of  his 
censures  by  expressions  of  tenderness  and  affection;  nor 
does  he  ever  forget,  in  the  vehemence  of  his  zeal,  the 
rules  of  modesty  and  decorum.  He  is  a  writer,  in  short, 
of  so  singular  a  composition,  that  it  would  be  difficult  to 
find  a  rival.  That  truly  sensible  and  sagacious  philoso¬ 
pher,  Locke,  was  of  the  same  opinion,  and  contended 
that  St.  Paul  was  without  an  equal.” 

From  these  quotations  you  may  judge  of  the  strength 
of  this  argument  for  the  genuineness  of  the  books  of  the 
New  Testament,  and  of  the  able  and  interesting  manner 
in  which  it  is  developed  by  Michaelis. 

Maria.  It  is  very  true:  in  reading  St.  Paul’s  Epistles, 


66  What  is  said  of  the  writings  of  St.  John  and  St.  Paul? — 67  How 
does  Mr.  B.  speak  of  St.  Paul’s  knowledge  of  the  Old  Testament! — 68 
What  is  said  further  of  the  peculiar  traits  in  his  style  1 — 69  What  does 
Maria  say  of  St.  Paul’s  epistles'! 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY.  143 

I  could  not  think  them  otherwise  than  his  own  real  let¬ 
ters,  if  I  were  to  try  to  do  so. 

.Mr.  B.  And  it  is  equally  difficult  to  imagine  the  Gos¬ 
pels  written  by  any  others  than  eye-witnesses  of  what 
they  related,  or  by  those  who  put  down  what  eye-wit¬ 
nesses  related  to  them.  Those  who  read  the  New  Tes¬ 
tament  much,  cannot  be  infidels,  unless  the  mind  be  alto¬ 
gether  vitiated.  But  when  do  unbelievers  ever  give  it  a 
fair  chance? 

Edward.  You  have  not  yet  brought  forward  any  argu¬ 
ment  from  the  general  agreement  of  the  New  Testament 
with  other  writers. 

Mr.  B.  I  could  not  thence  immediately  infer  the  genu¬ 
ineness  of  the  books,  since  an  impostor  might  take  care 
not  to  deviate  from  facts  already  known;  but  from  unde¬ 
signed  agreement  of  these  different  portions  of  their  writ¬ 
ings  with  each  other,  and  with  known  history,  an  argu¬ 
ment  irresistibly  strong  may  be  drawn  in  their  favour. 

Maria.  What  is  meant  by  undesigned  agreement? 

Mr.  B.  If  agreement  subsists  between  two  documents, 
it  must  be  either  the  effect  of  design  or  not.  If  the 
agreement  be  evident,  it  is  not  improbably  the  effect  of 
design;  and  we  may  have  some  reason,  where  additional 
suspicious  circumstances  are  connected  with  it,  to  infer 
the  probability  of  forgery;  but  no  person  attempting  to 
palm  spurious  documents  upon  the  world  as  genuine, 
would  omit  to  make  evident,  in  some  degree,  an  agree¬ 
ment  which  would  contribute  to  their  reputation,  since  it 
would  be  useless  making  a  coincidence  of  this  nature  un^ 
less  it  were  apparent.  But  in  the  New  Testament  we 
have  instances  of  coincidence  and  agreement  which  are 
by  no  means  evident,  and  in  fact  so  far  from  it,  that  the 
agreement  is  only  ascertained  after  considerable  re¬ 
search:  in  some  cases  even  there  has  appeared,  for  a 
long  time,  contradiction,  instead  of  agreement.  Now 
his  could  not  possibly  occur  if  these  books  were  other¬ 
wise  than  genuine;  for  no  forger  would  leave  difficulties 

70  What  does  Mr.  B.  say  of  the  gospels,  as  to  their  authorship”? — 71 
From  what  does  he  say,  in  this  place,  that  an  argument  irresistibly  strong 
may  be  drawn”? — 72  What  does  he  say  of  undesigned  agreement”? — 73 
.Vhere  have  we  instances  of  it”? 


144 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


likely  to  overthrow  the  credit  of  his  forgery;  no  forger 
would  fail  to  make  the  fact  observable  which  gave  credit 
to  his  statements. 

Maria.  And  can  many  instances  of  undesigned  coinci¬ 
dence  be  produced? 

Mr.  B.  You  will  find  some  most  convincing  examples 
in  Marsh’s  Lectures,  and  in  the  Translation  of  Michae- 
lis,  taken  from  the  Gospels  and  the  Acts;  and  Dr.  Paley 
composed  a  book,  entitled  Hone  Paulinae,  entirely  on 
this  subject,  in  which,  by  comparing  the  life  of  St.  Paul, 
given  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  with  his  epistles,  he 
proves  that  both  must  have  been  genuine,  and  independ¬ 
ent  of  each  other,  neither  the  epistles  having  been  com¬ 
piled  from  the  life,  nor  the  life  from  the  epistles.  This 
work  of  Paley’s  is  also  peculiarly  valuable,  inasmuch  as 
the  argument  is  quite  independent  of  all-  others,  assuming 
merely  the  existence  of  the  books  at  the  present  time. 

Maria.  Will  you  give  some  examples  of  this  kind  of 
agreement? 

Mr.  B.  From  the  very  nature  of  it,  the  developement 
of  this  kind  of  proof  would  occupy  more  time  than  we 
can  give  to  it;  but  the  following  may  give  you  some  idea 
of  it: 

In  the  third  chapter  of  St.  Luke’s  Gospel,  John  the 
Baptist  is  mentioned  as  giving  advice  to  those  who  came 
to  him  for  baptism,  and,  amongst  others,  to  soldiers,  when 
the  Greek  word  is  not  that  ordinarily  employed,  but  one 
denoting  soldiers  then  engaged  in  actual  service;  and  for 
this  no  reason  can  be  assigned  from  St.  Luke. 

Again,  in  the  sixth  chapter  of  St.  Mark’s  Gospel  we 
have  an  account  of  the  death  of  John  the  Baptist,  and 
what  renders  the  circumstance  singular  is,  that  the  order 
was  given  by  Herod,  at  an  entertainment  at  which  He- 
rodias,  with  her  daughter  was  present,  and  the  execu¬ 
tioner  was  not  in  a  civil  but  a  military  capacity;  but  no 
further  light  is  thrown  upon  this  peculiarity  of  expres¬ 
sion. 


74  Which  are  the  firot  two  works  named  containing  examples  1 — 75 
What  is  said  of  Paley’s  Horae  Paulinas'? — 76  What  is  the  example  given 
from  the  third  chapter  of  St.  Luke’s  gospel? — 77  What  one  is  giveu  from 
the  sixth  chapter  of  St.  Mark’s  gospel? 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY. 


145 

In  the  fifth  chapter  of  the  eighteenth  book  of  the  Jew¬ 
ish  Antiquities  of  Josephus  we  however  meet  with  the 
reason;  for  we  thence  learn,  that  Herod  then  inarched 
through  the  very  country  where  John  was  baptising, 
which  explains  the  peculiarity  of  St.  Luke’s  expression; 
and  of  that  war  Herodius  was  the  cause,  which  accounts 
for  her  presence  at  the  entertainment,  and  this  also  was 
given  at  the  place  where  Herod  shut  up  John  in  prison, 
Machaerus,  a  fortress  on  the  eastern  side  of  Jordan,  and 
hence  it  naturally  followed  that  the  executioner  was  such 
as  described  by  St.  Mark. 

Now  if  these  gospels  had  not  been  genuine  documents, 
it  is  the  most  improbable  thing  in  the  world  that  the  au¬ 
thors  of  them  should  have  been  so  scrupulously  accurate 
as  to  use  precisely  the  right  expressions;  but  if  they  had 
done  so,  it  is  wholly  inconceivable  that  they  would  leave 
them  unexplained,  with  an  appearance  of  inaccuracy, 
when  by  a  further  statement  they  might  have  so  strongly 
recommended  the  correctness  of  their  accounts. 

Maria.  And  but  for  the  help  of  Josephus  it  could  never 
have  been  explained. 

Mr.  B.  You  will  find  the  other  instances  not  less  in¬ 
teresting.  I  shall  now  give  you  Paley’s  observations 
upon  the  proof  derived  from  the  comparison  of  the  Acts 
of  the  Apostles  with  the  epistles.  “  St.  Paul’s  epistles 
are  connected  with  the  history  by  their  particularity,  and 
by  the  numerous  circumstances  which  are  found  in  them. 
When  we  descend  to  an  examination  and  comparison  of 
these  circumstances,  we  not  only  observe  the  history  and 
the  epistles  to  be  independent  documents  unknown  to, 
or  at  least  unconsulted  by,  each  other,  but  we  find  the 
substance,  and  oftentimes  very  minute  articles  of  the  his¬ 
tory  recognised  in  the  epistles  by  allusions  and  referen¬ 
ces,  which  can.  neither  be  imputed  to  design,  nor,  without 
a  foundation  of  truth,  be  accounted  for  by  accident,  by 
hints  and  expressions  and  single  words,  dropping,  as  it 


78  How  are  these  two  case?  explained  by  reference  to  the  book  of  Jew¬ 
ish  antiquities! — 79  What  conclusion  is  drawn  from  these  two  cases'! — 
80  What  does  Maria  say  of  them! — 81  What  are  the  remarks  from  Paley 
upon  the  proof  derived  from  the  comparison  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles 
with  the  epistles! 

13 


146 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


were,  fortuitously  from  the  pen  of  the  writer,  or  drawn  forth 
each  by  some  occasion  proper  to  the  place  in  ivhich  it  occurs, 
but  widely  removed  from  any  view  to  consistency  or  agree¬ 
ment.  These  we  know  are  effects  which  reality  naturally 
produces,  but  which,  without  reality  at  the  bottom,  can 
hardly  be  conceived  to  exist.” — Hor.  Paid.  p.  355. 

Edward.  So  that  it  is  in  the  total  absence  of  all  appear¬ 
ance  of  design,  and  the  minute  agreement  only  detected 
by  diligent  examination,  that  the  real  strength  of  the  ar¬ 
gument  consists? 

Mr.  B.  It  is:  and  you  will  find  the  conviction  produced 
by  examination  of  this  kind  so  strong,  that  no  sophistry 
on  the  part  of  infidelity  can  shake  it.  But  there  is  yet 
another  argument  which  must  be  produced,  and  which 
seems  as  decidedly  to  exclude  the  possibility  of  imposi¬ 
tion  in  the  external  evidence  as  this  does  in  the  internal. 
With  regard  to  the  books  of  the  New  Testament,  some 
books  were  universally  received,  no  doubt  having  ever 
attached  to  them.  “  These  books  were,  the  four  Gos¬ 
pels,  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  thirteen  Epistles  of  St. 
Paul,  the  First  Epistle  of  St.  Peter,  and  the  First  Epistle 
of  St.  John.  That  all  these  books  had  been  universally 
received,  is  a  fact  attested  by  Eusebius,  and  confirmed 
by  the  writers  who  preceded  him.  Now,  if  the  historical 
books  of  the  New  Testament  were  universally  received, 
they  must  have  been  received  as  authentic  in  the  very 
places  where  they  were  composed,  and  by  the  persons  to 
whom  they  were  first  delivered.  And  whatever  apostolic 
epistles  were  universally  received,  they  must  have  been 
received  as  authentic  by  the  very  persons  or  communities 
to  whom  they  were  immediately  addressed.” — Marsh’s 
Led.  part  v.  p.  47. 

But  this  reduces  the  whole  almost  to  a  matter  of  de¬ 
monstration  in  favour  of  their  genuineness,  as  Bishop 
Marsh  proceeds  to  show  by  examining  each  case  in  de¬ 
tail  ;  for  it  is  next  to  impossible  that  the  Christian  com- 


82  How  does  Edward  express  himself  upon  these  remarks  of  Paley! — 
83  How  does  Mr.  B.  estimate  this  kind  of  evidence! — 84  What  does 
Marsh  say  of  the  universal  reception  of  many  of  the  books  of  the  New 
Testament! — 85  On  what  ground  does  Mr.  B.  think  tlte  whole  subject  is 
now  placed! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


147 

munities  at  Rome,  Corinth,  in  Galatia,  at  Ephesus,  Phi¬ 
lippi,  Colosse,  and  Thessalonica,  could  be  imposed  upon. 
These  epistles  are  abundantly  quoted  in  the  middle  of 
the  second  century,  and  partially  so  in  the  works  assign¬ 
ed  to  the  apostolic  fathers  at  its  commencement.  They 
were,  therefore,  no  secret,  and  a  considerable  time  must 
have  elapsed  ere  they  could  have  spread  so  widely,"  and 
that,  within  so  very  short  a  time  of  the  death  of  St.  Paul 
as  this  brings  us  to,  specious  documents  should  impose 
upon  all  the  Christians,  without  any  exception,  that  every 
one  of  these  cities  should  be  deceived,  is  wholly  incredi¬ 
ble.  Some  trace  of  doubt  must  have  remained  in  case 
of  imposture.  And  now  take  the  whole  cumulative  weight 
in  favour  of  the  genuineness  of  these  documents  togeth¬ 
er;  consider  the  circumstances  under  which  they  are 
transmitted  to  us;  the  deep  interest  the  Christians  had 
at  stake;  their  sincerity,  proved  in  death;  their  means 
of  ascertaining  the  truth;  the  care  they  took  in  so  do¬ 
ing;  their  full  testimony;  the  very  nature  of  the  docu¬ 
ments  as  Christian  Laws  demanding  obedience;  the  high 
reverence  paid  them  as  inspired ;  and  that  they  received 
that  obedience  and  reverence  in  places  also  where  im¬ 
posture  could  most  easily  have  been  detected; — consider 
again,  the  language  of  these  writings;  the  peculiar  style 
of  each  author ;  the  character  of  the  author  as  manifested 
from  them;  their  agreement  with  fact,  and  with  each 
other;  their  having  never  yet  been  proved  spurious,  not¬ 
withstanding  the  extent  of  subject  they  embrace;  the 
persons  who  have  studied  them,  and  the  time  which  has 
elapsed,  and  their  undesigned  coincidence; — and  you 
must  conclude  they  are  the  productions  of  those  whose 
names  they  bear. 


86  What  is  said  of  these  epistles  in  the  second  century  1 — 87  What  cir¬ 
cumstances,  in  conclusion,  does  he  think,  if  taken  into  consideration,  will 
lead  to  the  most  decided  conviction  in  favour  of  their  authenticity  1 


148 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


CONVERSATION  X.  # 

Mr.  B.  As  the  greatest  stress  will  be  laid  upon  the 
genuineness  of  the  books  of  the  New  Testament,  if  you 
have  any  objection  to  make  to  the  conclusion  drawn  in 
our  last  conversation,  you  must  state  it  now. 

Maria.  I  cannot  see  how  that  conclusion  can  be  evaded. 

Edward.  Nor  I;  unless  it  be  on  the  grounds  that  we 
have  no  account  of  these  authors  by  contemporaries. 

Mr.  B.  I  might  have  recourse  to  the  works  of  the  apos¬ 
tolic  fathers  to  answer  this  objection;  but  as  some  doubt 
is  attached  to  the  genuineness  of  the  writings  ascribed  to 
them,  I  shall  not.  On  what  grounds,  however,  do  you 
believe  that  such  men  as  Caesar  and  Cicero  lived,  and 
wrote  the  books  commonly  ascribed  to  them? 

Edward.  There  are  accounts  of  them  by  contempora¬ 
ry  writers,  and  their  works  have  been  transmitted  to  us 
as  genuine  by  those  who  must  have  been  able  to  decide. 
The  testimony  of  Sallust  alone  would  be  sufficient  to  es¬ 
tablish  the  fact.  , 

Mr.  B.  But  how  would  you  establish  the  existence  of 
Sallust,  and  the  genuineness  of  the  works  ascribed  to 
him? 

Edxcard.  By  similar  means. 

Mr.  B.  Then  are  you  not  placed  in  the  same  situation 
with  regard  to  Cicero,  Caesar,  and  Sallust,  as  we  are  with 
regard  to  the  writers  of  the  New  Testament? 

Edward.  Not  exactly;  for  the  books  of  the  New  Tes¬ 
tament  all  form  one  system  of  religion,  the  parts  of  which 
might  naturally  be  expected  to  support  each  other. 

Mr.  B.  But  would  not  the  same  argument  have  ap¬ 
plied  to  the  Roman  authors  just  mentioned,  had  it  be¬ 
come  expedient  to  unite  their  works  in  a  similar  manner? 


1  How  is  the  tenth  conversation  introduced! — 2  In  what  further  way 
does  Mr.  B.  think  that  the  genuineness  of  the  books  of  the  New  Testa¬ 
ment  can  be  established! — 3  How  should  we  be  enabled  to  believe  such 
men  as  Caesar  and  Cicero  have  lived! — 4  And  how  would  the  existence 
be  established! — 5  What  question  does  Mr.  B.  now  ask  Edward  respect¬ 
ing  Caesar,  Cicero,  and  Sallust! — 6  What  reply  does  Edward  make  to 
this  question! — 7  How  does  Mr.  B.  reply  to  this  supposed  want  of  anal¬ 
ogy  in  the  two  cases! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


149 

The  New  Testament  is  now  regarded  as  one  work;  but 
you  must  always  bear  in  mind,  that  it  is,  in  fact,  a  col¬ 
lection  of  the  works  of  eight  authors,  and  that  these  writ¬ 
ings  are  asserted  to  have  been  produced  in  different  coun¬ 
tries,  with  different  objects;  and  that  it  was  only  the  im¬ 
mense  weight  attached  to  their  authority  which  occasion¬ 
ed  their  being  collected  and  separated  so  decisively  from 
all  other  works  as  we  now  see  them. 

Edward.  But  is  it  not  assuming  too  much  that  they 
certainly  are  the  works  of  different  authors? 

Mr.  B.  Would  you  believe  that  Sallust  wrote  the  va¬ 
rious  works  of  Cicero  and  the  Commentaries  of  Csesar? 

Edward.  Certainly  not:  it  is  impossible. 

Mr.  B.  Not  more  impossible  than  that  St.  John  should 
have  written  the  narratives  of  St.  Luke,  St.  Matthew, 
and  St.  Mark,  the  Epistles  of  St.  Peter,  St.  Paul,  St, 
James,  and  St.  Jude.  If  the  unanimous  testimony  of  all 
subsequent  writers  establish  the  facts  in  the  one  case,  so 
they  do  in  the  other;  if  the  internal  evidence  makes  the 
idea  of  forgery  absurd  in  the  one  case,  so  it  does  in  the 
other. 

Edicard.  But  Cicero  is  an  author  sui  generis;  no  one 
but  Cicero  could  have  written  the  works  ascribed  to  him. 

Mr.  B.  And  so  is  St.  Paul  an  author  sui  generis;  and 
the  impossibility  attached  to  the  forgery  of  works  ascrib¬ 
ed  to  him  is  as  evident  as  that  in  a  similar  supposition 
with  regard  to  the  works  of  Cicero. 

Maria.  In  both  cases,  it  appears  we  know  nothing  of 
the  authors,  but  by  the  belief  of  those  who  lived  subse¬ 
quently  to  them,  and  through  the  examination  of  the  ac¬ 
counts  of  those  said  to  be  contemporaries,  and  of  the 
works  said  to  be  theirs. 

Edivard.  But  the  Roman  orator  acted  so  distinguished 
a  part,  that  no  doubt  can  attach  to  him. 

Mr.  B.  And  did  Paul  of  Tarsus  do  less?  According 

8  Edward  inquires  if  his  position  is  not  assuming  too  much- — What  is 
the  answer  of  Mr.  B.! — 9  Edward  admits  it  would  be  impossible  to  be¬ 
lieve  that  Sallust  wrote  the  works  of  Cicero,  and  the  Commentaries  of 
Caesar,  how  does  Mr.  B.  use  this  admission! — 10  Edward  says  that  Cicero 
is  ar.  author  sui  generis,  how  does  Mr.  B.  answer  him! — 11  What  does 
Maria  say  pf  the  manner  in  which  we  acquire  knowledge  in  each  of  these 
two  cases! 


13* 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


150 

to  the  most  favourable  hypothesis  that  can  be  framed  for 
you,  all  the  natural  advantages  were  on  the  side  of  Ci¬ 
cero.  But  look  at  the  results.  The  Jew  holds  the  world 
in  subjection;  the  greatest  admirers  of  the  Roman  are 
compelled  to  acknowledge  his  insufficiency.  St.  Paul’s 
works  cannot  be  overthrown;  those  of  Cicero,  with  all 
their  learning,  all  their  genius,  all  their  charms  of  style, 
can  hardly  be  made  even  plausible,  as  respects  religion. 
And  can  you  believe  that  writings  which  have  produced 
such  effects  are  mere  fictions'?  Is  it  credible,  that  what 
Porphyry  and  Julian  could  not  shake  is  reserved  for  our 
days  to  overthrow;  when,  according  to  the  principles  of 
those  who  wish  to  invalidate  the  arguments  for  the  gen¬ 
uineness  of  the  Scriptures,  the  interval  of  time  which  has 
elapsed  since  their  promulgation,  is  the  great  obstacle 
to  ascertaining  the  truth? 

Edivard.  But  all  the  evidence  in  behalf  of  the  genu- 
inenes  of  these  works,  nearest  the  time  of  their  publica¬ 
tion,  is  to  be  found  in  the  writings  of  those  who  were 
bound  to  support  them. 

Mr.  B.  Whence  could  the  evidence  arise,  if  not  from 
thence?  Are  a  man’s  friends,  or  his  enemies,  those  to 
whom  he  chiefly  writes?  By  whom  can  the  fact  of  a  let¬ 
ter’s  having  been  written  be  established,  but  by  those  to 
whom  it  is  addressed,  and  are  best  acquainted  with  the 
writer?  What  fuller  proof  can  be  given  of  their  belief  in 
its  genuineness,  than  obedience  to  its  injunctions,  at  the 
risk  of  loss  of  property,  liberty,  and  even  life  itself;  when 
those  injunctions  also  are  of  a  nature  contrary  to  former 
habits,  opinions,  and  inclinations? 

Maria.  The  evidence,  indeed,  as  derived  from  the  re¬ 
ception  of  St.  Paul’s  letters  in  the  cities  to  which  they 
are  addressed,  is  to  me  irresistible;  for  I  can  never  be¬ 
lieve  they  could  have  been  received  there  as  of  divine 
authority,  had  it  not  been  a  certain  fact,  that  they  had 


!  12  What  comparison  does  Mr.  B.  introduce  between  the  Roman  orator 

and  Cicero  1 — 13  What  question  does  he  then  ask,  mentioning  the  names 
of  Porphyry  and  Julian  1—14  From  what  source  does  Edward  say  that 
the  evidence  arises  i.ri  behalf  of  the  genuineness  of  the  New  Testament! — 
15  How  does  Mr.  B.  reply  to  him! — 16  What  is  the  opinion  of  Maria 
on  this  point! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


151 


really  been  sent  by  St.  Paul,  and  known  to  be  his,  by 
those  in  whose  hands  they  first  appeared.  The  time  also 
is  too  limited  for  deception  to  have  been  practised 

Mr.  B.  Tertullian  made  use  of  this  very  argument, 
and  insists  upon  the  fact  of  the  “  authentic  letters ”  exist¬ 
ing  in  these  cities,  which,  whatsoever  meaning  be  attach¬ 
ed  to  the  words,  must  imply  the  fact  of  there  being  no 
doubt  in  those  cities.  In  the  epistles  ascribed  to  the 
apostolic  fathers,  addressed  to  the  cities  themselves,  we 
have  also  reference  to  this  fact,  which  reference  could 
never  have  been  made  by  any  author,  if  that  had  not 
been  the  case. 

Edivard.  With  regard  to  the  Epistles  of  St.  Paul  and 
the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  it  does  not  appear  possible  cer¬ 
tainly  to  have  any  doubt  as  to  their  genuineness;  but 
with  regard  to  the  Gospels,  I  should  like  to  have  had 
more  information. 

Mr,  B.  But  if  the  “  Acts  of  the  Apostles”  be  genuine, 
the  Gospel  of  St.  Luke,  of  which  it  is  only  a  continua¬ 
tion,  must  be  so  likewise;  and  from  the  works  of  St. 
Luke  and  St.  Paul  we  obtain  sufficient  information  by 
which  tor  try  the  genuineness  of  the  other  authors.  We 
learn  from  St.  Paul,  that  Peter,  and  James,  and  John, 
were  pillars  of  the  church;  from  St.  Luke,  the  character 
of  St.  Matthew;  and  from  both,  that  of  St.  Mark.  Be¬ 
sides  this,  we  have  the  authority  of  those  who  best  knew 
the  truth,  for  saying  that  the  Gospel  of  St.  Mark  was  de¬ 
rived  from  the  statements  of  St.  Peter,  as  that  of  St. 
Luke  was  sanctioned  by  St.  Paul.  Those  of  St.  Mat¬ 
thew  and  St.  John  stand  upon  their  own  independent  au¬ 
thority.  But  the  agreement  between  the  various  writ¬ 
ings  ascribed  to  St.  John,  fully  confirms  the  fact  of  their 
having  proceeded  from  the  same  author:  and  when  we 
consider  that  not  the  shadow  of  doubt  ever  existed  as  to 
.  the  Gospel  and  the  First  Epistle;  and  that  Irenmus,  who 
derived  his  information  from  Polycarp,  the  disciple  of  Si. 


17  What  is  stated  of  Tertullian  in  relation  to  this  matter! — 18  What 
admission  does  Edward  make  in  relation  to  the  epistles  of  St.  Paul,  and  the 
Acts  of  the  Apostles'? — 19  What  do  we  learn  from  the  works  of  St.  Luke 
and  St.  Paul? — 20  What  is  said  of  the  Gospels  of  St.  Mark,  St.  Matthew, 
and  St.  John? — 21  And  of  the  writings  of  St.  John  in  particular11 


f52 


CONVERSATION'S  ON  THE 


John,  expressly  assigns  to  him  the  Apocalypse ;  and  that 
the  two  short  epistles,  being  private,  could  not  be  ex¬ 
pected  to  be  universally  received  at  once,  but  yet  when 
known  were  received;  you  cannot  doubt  of  the  genuine¬ 
ness  of  the  books  ascribed  to  this  apostle. 

Maria.  He  also  lived  longer  than  the  rest,  so  that  the 
less  chance  remained  for  imposition. 

Mr.  B.  That  St.  John  lived  to  the  end  of  the  first  cen¬ 
tury  has  been  so  long  acknowledged,  that  he  must  be 
sceptical  indeed  who  would  now  call  it  in  question;  and 
the  works  ascribed  to  him,  (particularly  the  Gospel, 
which  is,  in  our  inquiry,  of  the  greatest  importance)  con¬ 
tain  such  abundant  internal  evidence  of  genuineness,  in 
addition  to  external  testimony,  that  there  seems  no  evad¬ 
ing  the  conclusion,  that  they  were  written  by  the  “  be¬ 
loved  disciple.” 

Edrvard.  But  may  we  not  suppose  that  the  Gospel  of 
St.  Matthew  was  written  by  some  other  person  about  the 
time,  and  circumstances  generally  known  and  assigned 
to  him,  in  order  to  give  it  authority? 

Mr,  B.  The  Hebrew  Gospel  of  St.  Matthew  is  sup¬ 
posed  to  have  been  written  in  the  year  37 ;  and  the  Greek 
translation,  which  we  now  have,  probably  appeared  about 
the  year  63.  Now  if  the  Gospel  of  St.  Matthew  was  not 
written  by  the  apostle,  it  must  either  have  been  done  by 
one  believing  the  events  to  have  occurred,  and,  through 
earnest  desire  to  advance  the  belief  of  them,  induced  to 
do  that  in  itself  wrong,  for  the  sake  of  advancing  what 
he  believed  to  be  a  great  good;  or  by  one  who  disbe¬ 
lieved  the  facts,  but  was  desirous,  by  means  of  them,  to 
establish  his  own  opinions.  Now,  in  either  case,  the 
author  would  be  most  anxious  to  finish  his  production  to 
the  utmost  degree,  in  order  that  the  deception  might  not 
be  discovered,  and,  at  the  same  time,  be  very  careful 
where  he  first  produced  it; 

Edward.  As  far  as  possible,  he  would  put  it  out  of  the 


22  And  of  the  time  when  he  lived'? — 23  And  of  the  internal  evidence 
of  the  genuineness  of  his  writings? — 24  What  question  did  Edward  ask 
respecting  the  Gospel  of  S4.  Matthew? — 25  What  is  said  of  the  time  of 
writing  St.  Matthew’s  Gospel? — 26  What  supposition  is  made  by  Mr.  B. 
as  to  the  authorship  of  it? — 27  What  does  Edward  say  of  this  supposition! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


m 


power  of  any  one  to  expose  the  weakness  of  its  claims  or 
the  falsity  of  its  contents. 

Mr.  B.  Yet  this  Gospel  unquestionably  first  appeared 
in  the  country  where  the  supposed  author  was  best  known, 
and  where  the  events  related  had  occurred,  and  at  a  time 
when  the  assigned  author,  if  not  alive,  could  only  have 
been  dead  a  very  short  time.  Would  a  person  capable 
of  such  a  forgery  have  been  so  imprudent,  and,  when  so 
little  scrupulous  about  the  means  of  promulgating  his 
opinions,  so  careless  in  his  choice  of  means  ?  But  in 
what  manner  would  a  forger  of  such  a  document  write, 
as  respected  common  prejudices  and  opinions? 

Maria.  Very  carefully,  of  course;  since  otherwise  he 
would  excite  many  enemies,  at  a  time  when  any  one  en¬ 
emy  would  be  of  serious  consequence. 

Mr.  B.  Yet  look  at  the  Gospel  itself.  Can  any  thing 
be  more  bold  or  decisive?  If  not  genuine,  what  induce¬ 
ment  could  there  be  needlessly  to  irritate  so  many  pow¬ 
erful  parties  in  Judea,  by  the  strong  language  put  into 
the  mouth  of  our  Lord?  There  is  no  quarter  given  to 
the  follies,  the  vices,  and  the  prejudices  of  those  of  his 
own  nation;  no  leaning  toward  any  party;  no  attempt  to 
make  any  set  of  men  (able  to  defend  him)  his  friends;  no 
attempt  to  interest  national  pride  in  his  defence.  He 
speaks  as  one  having  authority,  as  calling  for  investiga¬ 
tion. 

Maria.  There  must  have  been  motives  to  attempt  de¬ 
tection,  as  well  as  means  of  so  doing,  in  case  of  forgery. 

Mr.  B.  There  must ;  yet  there  is  no  fear  of  consequen¬ 
ces,  no  careful  guarding  of  his  statements,  by  throwing 
them  into  the  obscurity  of  distance  of  time,  or  remoteness 
of  situation.  There  is  no  endeavour  at  plausibility,  the 
narrative  being  given  in  all  the  hardihood,  all  the  care¬ 
lessness  commonly  accompanying  truth ;  with  parts  ap¬ 
parently  objectionable,  unexplained  allusions,  and  every 
portion  bearing  the  strongest  marks  of  original  authorship. 


28  What  other  supposition  does  Mr.  B.  make  as  to  the  authorship  of 
this  gospel"? — 29  What  question  does  he  ask  on  the  presumption  that  this 
gospel  is  not  genuine"? — £0  What  facts  does  he  state  of  it  inconsistent 
with  such  a  presumption"? — 81  What  characteristics  of  style  run  through 
the  whole  of  it"? 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


154 

Edward.  It  is  indeed  like  any  thing  rather  than  the 
careful  compiling  and  studied  arrangement  of  an  impos¬ 
tor. 

Mr.  B.  If  we  had  only  this  one  narrative,  we  could  not 
account  for  its  production  on  any  other  supposition  than 
that  it  was  written  by  a  Jew  who  lived  before  the  destruc¬ 
tion  of  Jerusalem,  who  was  a  firm  believer  in  the  divine 
mission  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  and  thought  it  his  duty  to 
declare  (let  the  consequences  be  what  they  might)  the 
things  which  he  had  seen  and  heard.  It  is  so  completely 
Jewish  in  language,  style,  and  thought,  the  author  is  so 
wholly  absorbed  in  the  things  which  he  is  relating,  and 
the  whole  turn  and  character  of  the  work  is  such,  that 
none  but  a  Jew  could  have  written  it;  and  yet  there  are 
parts  of  it  so  contrary  to  Judaism,  that  no  Jew  ever  would 
have  written  it,  but  an  apostle  of  Christ.  From  St.  Paul’s 
Epistles  and  the  Acts  we  see  the  great  difficulty  there 
was  to  get  over  Jewish  prejudices;  and  from  the  works 
of  the  Jews  themselves  we  know  these  prejudices  are  not 
over-rated  by  the  sacred  writers.  Nothing  short  of  the 
genuineness  of  the  Gospel  can  account  for  its  contents; 
it  is  so  totally  at  variance  with  all  the  wishes,  habits  of 
thinking,  and  prejudices  of  the  Jews.  None  but  an 
apostle  would  ever  have  entertained  the  idea  of  preach¬ 
ing  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  the  crucified,  as  the  Messiah; 
and,  if  an  apostle,  it  would  be  folly  to  assign  any  other 
than  St.  Matthew. 

Maria.  It  is  indeed  possible  to  fancy  the  author  deceiv-- 
ed:  but  I  think  most  persons  would  do  violence  to  their 
natural  feelings  in  believing  the  author  a  deceiver. 

Edward.  After  all,  the  universal  testimony  of  the 
church  cannot  be  disregarded  for  mere  conjecture,  and 
particularly  when  every  particle  of  internal  evidence  is 
against  that  conjecture. 

Mr.  B.  I  shall  only  add  a  few  observations  more  on 
these  books,  viz.  that  every  thing  in  them  confirms  the 


32  If  we  had  only  this  one  narrative,  what  does  he  say  of  it! — 33  Why 
could  a  Jew  alone  have  written  it! — 34  What  do  we  see  from  St.  Paul’s 
epistles  and  the  Acts! — 35  What  does  Maria  think  possible  in  relation  to 
this  matter!— 36  What  does  Edward  say  of  the  universal  testimony  of  the 
church! — 37  For  whom  were  the  Gospels  severally  written! 


lad 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 

statements  given  by  the  fathers,  as  to  the  circumstances 
under  which  they  were  written.  St.  Matthew  is  said  to 
have  been  writer  of  the  first,  for  the  use  of  the  Jewish 
converts  in  Palestine;  St.  Mark,  for  the  converts  at 
Rome;  St.  Luke,  for  those  in  Greece;  and  St.  John’s, 
the  last,  as  supplementary  to  the  rest.  Now,  on  exam¬ 
ination,  every  thing  appears  in  strict  accordance  with 
this  statement.  St.  Matthew  selects  those  subjects  most 
interesting  to  the  Jews;  St.  Luke  gives  details. necessary 
for  the  Gentiles;  St.  Matthew  speaks  of  things  as  well 
known  and  common,  of  which  St.  Mark  gives  explana¬ 
tions,  which  at  Rome  were  necessary;  and  St.  John 
seems  carefully  to  have  avoided  the  subjects  they  had 
discussed,  except  where  his  testimony  was  necessary  to 
leading  facts  of  great  importance,  and  to  have  dwelt  more 
at  large  upon  those  conversations  of  our  Lord  with  his 
disciples  and  with  the  Jews,  which  were  most  interesting 
and  necessary  at  the  time  he  wrote.  He  also  gives  ob¬ 
servations  of  his  own,  explanatory  of  the  rejection  of  our 
Lord  by  the  Jews,  which  throw  light  upon  the  conduct 
of  our  Lord  towards  them,  and  through  the  whole  narra¬ 
tive  seems  to  dwell  upon  the  character  of  our  Lord  with 
that  interest  which  we  might  have  expected  from  “  the 
disciple  whom  Jesus  loved.” 

Edward.  These  may  not  add  much  to  the  evidence 
before  considered,  but  they  connect  the  external  with  the 
internal  evidence. 

Mr.  B.  Again,  if  we  found  the  Gospels  according  to 
St.  Matthew  and  St.  Mark  excelling  the  others  in  purity 
of  style  and  freedom  from  Orientalisms,  we  should  have 
some  reason  to  question  the  accuracy  of  the  statements 
which  have  come  down  to  us.  If  the  works  of  St.  Luke 
were  remarkable  for  the  total  want  of  any  thing  like  the 
style  of  one  who  had  travelled  and  resided  in  Greece,  or 
retained  no  Hebraisms,  we  might  doubt  whether  they 
were  the  productions  of  the  companion  of  St.  Paul.  If 
the  Gospel  of  St.  John  were  grossly  inaccurate,  as  to  its 

38  Of  the  subjects  contained  in  them  respectively,  what  is  said! — 39 
What  observations  of  his  own  did  St.  John  give! — 40  What  would  lead 
us  to  doubt  respecting  the  genuineness  of  the  first  three  gospels'! — 41  And 
respecting  the  authorship  of  St.  John’s  Gospel! 


156 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


Greek  construction,  on  the  one  hand,  or  entirely  free 
from  all  mixture  of  the  dialects  of  the  East,  on  the  other, 
we  might  in  either  case  hesitate  before  we  received  it  as 
the  work  of  a  Jew  who  had  for  many  years  resided  in 
Asia  Minor.  But  in  all  these  instances  the  very  reverse 
is  true;  and  the  Gospels  are,  in  language  as  well  as  in 
matter,  such  as  might  reasonably  have  been  expected 
from  persons  situated  as  St.  Matthew,  St.  Mark,  St. 
Luke,  and  St.  John,  are  said  to  have  been. 

Maria.  But  might  not  the  accounts  of  the  authors  have 
arisen  from  observation  of  these  things? 

Mr.  B.  They  are  not  so  stated,  and  it  is  very  improb¬ 
able  that  this  should  have  been  the  case,  since  the  Gos¬ 
pels  were  not  at  first  in  one  volume,  and  did  not  there¬ 
fore  afford  the  means  of  the  comparison  which  we  now 
readily  make;  nor  have  we  the  least  reason  to  believe 
that  such  careful  observation  of  the  style  was  ever  made 
by  those  who  have  given  the  above  statements;  for  the 
first  Christians  were  too  much  occupied  with  things  to 
attend  much  to  words.  The  idea  of  proving  the  truth  of 
Christianity  from  internal  evidence,  as  we  now  do,  could 
hardly  then  be  said  to  exist;  and  it  was  not  needed  by 
those  who  possessed  a  much  readier  method,  from  their 
living  so  near  the  apostolic  times. 

Edward.  As  the  genuineness  of  the  greater  part  of  the 
New  Testament  appears  quite  certain,  it  perhaps  is  not 
very  material  to  establish  that  of  the  books  which  at  first 
were  not  universally  received;  but  is  there  sufficient  rea¬ 
son  to  believe  these  also  are  genuine? 

Mr.  B.  Abundantly  sufficient,  though  not  to  as  great 
an  extent  as  in  the  case  of  the  rest.  The  Epistle  to  the 
Hebrews  was  for  a  time  rejected  by  the  'Latin  church, 
but  was  always  received  by  the  Greek,  and  is  by  Clem¬ 
ent  of  Alexandria  ascribed  to  St.  Paul,  who  appeals  also 
to  Pantrenus,  his  preceptor.  It  is  also  in  the  Syriac  ver¬ 
sion;  and  thus  we  have  in  its  favour  the  testimony  of  all 
those  countries  which  were  best  situated  for  the  determi¬ 
nation  of  the  truth.  The  Epistle  of  St.  James  being  like- 

42  What  question  does  Maria  ask  on  the  subject? — 43  How  does  Mr. 
B.  reply  to  her? — 44  What  question  relating  to  another  subject  does  Ed¬ 
ward  ask? — 45  Of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  what  is  said? 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITT.  157 

wise  in  the  Syriac  version,  must  be  received  as  his;  that 
version  of  course  having  the  greatest  weight  in  a  ques¬ 
tion  of  this  kind,  from  its  antiquity,  and  the  situation  of 
the  Syrian  Christians  with  respect  to  Judea.  The  Sec¬ 
ond  Epistle  of  St.  Peter,  the  Second  and  Third  of  St. 
John,  and  the  Epistle  of  St.  Jude,  are  not  in  the  Syriac 
version,  which  may  reasonably  be  accounted  for,  from  its 
having  been  made  before  these  epistles  were  known. 
The  Second  Epistle  of  St.  Peter  has  such  strong  internal 
evidence  of  its  genuineness,  as  proved  by  comparison 
with  the  First,  which  is  undoubtedly  genuine,  that  it  must 
be  received.  The  three  other  epistles  are  so  very  short, 
and  their  nature  is  such,  that  it  is  not  at  ail  surprising 
that  they  were  for  a  time  unnoticed,  particularly  the  two 
former;  hut  these  so  closely  resemble  the  First  Epistle 
of  St.  John,  that  there  can  be  little  doubt  as  to  their  gen¬ 
uineness;  and  the  Epistle  of  St.  Jude,  when  known,  was 
received  as  his,  being  quoted  as  such  both  by  Clement 
of  Alexandria  and  Origen.  The  book  of  Revelation  is 
also  quoted  frequently  by  Clement  of  Alexandria  and 
Origen,  and  likewise  by  Irenseus.  It  is  also  expressly 
ascribed  to  St.  John  by  the  latter  (whose  testimony  is  of 
the  greatest  weight  with  regard  to  it)  as  before  seen, 
and  by  Justin  Martyr  at  a  still  earlier  period.  The  de¬ 
fence  of  Christianity  may  be  maintained  without  depend¬ 
ing  upon  any  of  these  books;  but  there  is  no  necessity 
to  give  up  their  authority,  since  the  evidence  for  their 
genuineness  is  far  greater  than  what  would  be  deemed 
necessary  to  establish  the  credit  of  any  common  author. 

CONVERSATION  XI. 

Mr.  B.  We  are  now  arrived  at  that  part  of  the  evi¬ 
dences  of  Christianity  to  which  the  greatest  interest  is 
generally  attached,  and  on  which  indeed  the  whole  proof 

46  Of  the  Epistle  of  James;  of  the  second  Epistle  of  Peter;  of  the  third 
Epistle  of  John;  and  of  the  Epistle  of  Jude,  what  is  said? — 47  Of  the 
Other  epistles,  what  is  said? — 48  Of  the  book  of  Revelation,  what  is  said* 
l  To  what  part  of  the  argument  are  we  new  arrived! 

14 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


.108 

of  Christianity  seems  to  depend — the  credibility  of  the 
New  Testament.  If  the  accounts  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  be  not  true,  however  excellent  Christianity  may 
appear,  and  however  singular  may  be  the  fact  of  its  con¬ 
tinuance  to  the  present  day,  we  can  only  regard  it  as  the 
effect  of  a  variety  of  concurring  causes,  which  it  may  be 
interesting,  but  cannot  be  absolutely  necessary  to  inves¬ 
tigate;  and  here,  therefore,  we  may  terminate  our  in¬ 
quiries.  But  if,  on  the  other  hand,  the  New  Testament 
be  credible  as  well  as  genuine,  the  truth  of  Christianity 
is  established,  and  the  remainder  of  our  inquiries  may  be 
restricted  to  showing  how  far  this  fact  affects  others  con¬ 
nected  with  it,  or  is  itself  affected  by  them. 

Edward.  Do  you  then  consider  the  whole  question  as 
turning  upon  this  one  point? 

Mr.  B.  I  do.  If  Christ  be  not  risen  from  the  dead,  all 
probabilities  in  favour  of  Christianity  must  fail:  if  he  is 
risen  from  the  dead,  they  are  unnecessary. 

Edward.  Do  you  then  consider  all  the  internal  evi¬ 
dence  in  behalf  of  Christianity,  arising  from  its  excel¬ 
lence,  as  useless? 

Mr.  B.  By  no  means:  it  is  of  the  greatest  consequence; 
but  the  utmost  which  it  can  establish,  independently  of 
external  evidence,  is,  that  the  religion  is  not  (according 
to  our  notions),  unworthy  of  God. 

Maria.  Has  it  not  been  denied  by  some,  that  the  Gos¬ 
pel  statements  can  be  proved  true  by  any  means  whatso¬ 
ever  ? 

Mr.  B.  It  has,  from  the  circumstance  of  their  relating 
miracles. 

Maria.  And  what  is  the  argument  made  use  of?  If  it 
be  valid,  all  further  inquiry  is  needless. 

Mr.  B.  It  is  this, — that  a  miracle  is  contrary  to  our 
experience,  and  therefore  no  testimony,  however  strong, 
can  establish  it.  The  fallacy  of  the  argument  consists  in 
the  ambiguity  of  the  word  experience.  It  may  be  certain 


2  If  the  accounts  of  our  Lord  be  not  true,  what  is  the  supposition  of  Mr. 
B.! — But  if  the  New  Testament  be  credible,  as  well  as  genuine,  what  is 
the  fact'! — 4  What  importance  is  attached  to  the  resurrection  of  our  Lord 
from  the  deadl — 5  What  does  Mr.  B.  say  of  the  excellence  of  Christian¬ 
ity! — 6  What  objection  is  made  to  miracles! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  159 

that  a  miracle  is  contrary  to  our  own  personal  experience ; 
but  to  say  that  it  is  contrary  to  universal  experience,  is 
what  can  never  be  proved,  and  is  assuming  the  very 
question  at  issue.  To  prove  that  a  miracle  never  did 
occur,  would  require  a  knowledge  which  man  cannot 
possess. 

Maria.  This  is  a  very  contemptible  method  of  quib¬ 
bling  upon  a  serious  subject. 

Mr.  B.  It  is,  and  as  such  I  shall  not  dwell  further  upon 
it.  In  Leland’s  £C  Deistical  Writers”  you  will  find  some 
observations  on  the  subject,  and  in  “  Beattie’s  Essay  on 
Truth,”  “Campbell  on  Miracles,”  and  “Douglas  on 
Miracles,”  sufficient  answers  to  the  objection.  In  the 
beginning  of  Paley’s  Evidences,  you  will  find  some  ad¬ 
mirable  observations  on  the  same  subject. 

Edivard.  But  I  have  met  with  another  objection  that 
seems  much  more  formidable,  which  is,  “  that  we  can 
never  certainly  know  what  is  a  miracle  and  what  is  not; 
for  a  miracle  is  a  deviation  from  the  accustomed  course 
of  things,  and  we  are  not  sufficiently  acquainted  with  the 
laws  of  nature  to  determine  when  the  law  is  broken.” 

Mr.  B.  This  is  one  of  the  many  instances  in  which  it 
is  attempted  to  explain  away  common  sense  by  metaphys¬ 
ical  refinement,  and  respecting  which  I  again  tefer  you 
to  Beattie.  Suppose  we  do  not  know  every  thing  relative 
to  the  ordinary  course  of  all  things,  does  it  follow  that 
our  knowledge  is  so  circumscribed  that  we  cannot  in  some 
determine  as  to  whether  the  general  course  is  observed 
or  broken?  An  astronomer  observes  the  course  of  a 
planet,  and  determines  the  law  by  which  that  course  is 
directed.  He  afterwards  obtains  better  instruments,  and 
by  fresh  observations  ascertains  that  the  course  is  not 
such  as  he  had  before  concluded  it  to  be.  He  examines 
his  calculations,  but  can  detect  no  error,  and  is  thereby 
perplexed.  He  does  not  thence  infer  there  is  a  miracle, 
and  justly,  because  he  is  aware  that  he  is  not  acquainted 
with  every  thing  relative  to  the  subject.  Perhaps  at  a 

7  In  what  does  the  fallacy  of  this  objection  consist1? — 8  In  what  works 
does  a  sufficient  answer  to  it  exist? — 9  What  other  objection  does  Edward 
bring  forward? — 10  How  does  Mr.  B.  speak  of  this  objection? — 11  How 
does  he  illustrate  his  meaning  by  a  case  of  astronomy? 


160 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


subsequent  period  he  detects  the  cause  of  the  deviations 
from  what  appeared  to  be  the  natural  course  dictated  by 
the  general  law  of  attraction,  to  be  latent  in  the  univer¬ 
sality  of  that  law  affecting  other  bodies,  which  he  had 
before  neglected  to  take  into  the  account.  But  what 
analogy  is  there  between  this  and  the  case  of  a  man 
born  blind  suddenly  restored  to  sight;  a  cripple  suddenly 
restored  to  the  use  of  his  limbs;  or  of  a  man,  who  had 
died  some  days  before,  arising  from  the  grave,  on  being 
commanded  so  to  do?  I  do  not  know  every  thing  rela¬ 
tive  to  the  human  body,  and  the  changes  it  may  undergo 
from  various  causes;  but  I  do  know  sufficient  to  inform 
me  that  the  sound  of  the  human  voice  has  no  power  over 
the  “  dull  cold  ear  of  death.”  I  do  not  know  every  thing 
relative  to  the  nature  of  water;  but  I  do  know  that  simi¬ 
lar  bodies  similarly  situated  will  be  affected  in  the  like 
manner  by  the  same  causes;  and  that  if  on  the  sea  of 
Galilee  Peter  was  sinking  at  the  time  his  Master  walked 
upon  it,  that  undoubtedly  there  was  a  suspension  of  the 
accustomed  course  of  nature. 

Maria.  I  do  not  think  my  brother’s  objection  much 
better  than  the  first. 

Edward.  But  if  a  deviation  from  a  law  of  nature  take 
place,  it  must  require  amazingly  strong  evidence  to  prove 
it, 

Mr.  B.  The  whole  resolves  itself  into  a  question  of 
probabilities,  and  as  such  it  ought  to  be  considered;  viz. 
whether  it  is  more  probable  that  the  miracle  has  taken 
place,  or  that  those  who  bear  witness  to  it  are  deceivers 
or  deceived? 

Maria.  But,  from  the  nature  of  the  miracles  you  have 
just  now  cited  in  illustration,  there  appears  no  chance  of 
deception. 

Mr.  B.  There  can  be  very  little;  but  however  we  will 
consider  both  cases.  Now,  with  regard  to  the  miracles 
of  the  New  Testament,  their  probability  rests  upon  the 
following  probabilities; — that  they  cannot  be  disproved; 


12  What  application  does  he  make  of  this  case  to  the  argument  against 
miracles'? — 13  What  additional  illustration  does  he  make  in  the  case  of 
Peter? — 14  Into  what  does  he  say  that  the  whole  resolves  itself? — 15  Up¬ 
on  what  probabilities  do  the  miracles  of  the  New  Testament  rest? 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


161 


that  the  witnesses  of  them  were  not  deceivers ;  that  they 
were  not  deceived;  that  the  cause  of  the  performance  of 
these  miracles  was  such  as  made  the  interposition  of  Di¬ 
vine  power  necessary  or  expedient. 

Maria.  The  reason  of  the  three  first  I  see,  but  not  of 
the  last. 

Mr.  B.  A  miracle  may  be  said  to  have  been  wrought, 
■which  I  cannot  disprove,  and  which  is  well  attested,  but 
which  does  not  affect  me;  but  the  miracles  of  the  New 
Testament  are  expressly  given  as  proofs  of  the  divine 
origin  of  the  religion  therein  taught;  and  therefore  I 
must  be  quite  certain  of  their  connexion  with  God,  and 
must  be  convinced  that  they  are  in  agreement  with  what 
I  know  of  him.  If  I  found  the  reverse  the  case,  I  should 
conclude  that  there  was  a  defect  in  some  part  or  other  of 
the  preceding  proof,  though  f'  might  not  be  able  to  de¬ 
tect  it;  in  the  same  manner  that  an  absurd  conclusion  in 
mathematics  is  allowed  to  overthrow  a  theory,  however 
plausible,  which  has  led  to  it. 

Edward.  Before  we  examine  the  miracles,  will  it  not 
be  as  well  to  examine  the  credibility  of  the  other  parts  of 
the  New  Testament?  since,  if  we  detect  falsehood  in 
common  things,  it  is  not  unreasonable  to  distrust  state¬ 
ments  of  extraordinary  events. 

Mr.  B.  Certainly;  and  first,  then,  I  observe,  that  with 
regard  to  all  the  leading  facts,  not  miraculous,  the  state¬ 
ments  of  the  New  Testament  were  allowed  by  those  who 
were  able  to  have  detected  falsehood,  had  it  existed,  and 
who  were  most  anxious  to  destroy  their  credit.  From 
the  enemies  of  Christianity,  and  its  most  bitter  antago¬ 
nists,  we  may  prove  the  credibility  of  the  New  Testament. 
Celsus,  Porphyry,  and  Julian,  must  have  had  the  power 
to  detect  any  gross  falsehood;  and  who  that  looks  at  the 
remains  of  their  works  can  doubt  their  anxiety  to  over¬ 
throw  Christianity? 

But  again,  the  leading  facts  have  never  been  disputed. 


16  What  does  Maria  say  of  these  probabilities'? — 17  How  does  Mr.  B. 
reply  to  her  remark? — IS  What  does  Edward  propose  to  examine  before 
the  miracles,  and  why? — 10  How,  in  the  first  place,  is  the  credibility  of 
the  New  Testament  to  be  proved? — 20  What  is  said  of  the  existence  of 
Pagauism,  Mahometanism,  and  Judaism,  as  affecting  this  argument? 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


162 

Paganism  did  not  become  extinct  till  the  sixth  century, 
and  with  the  seventh . arose  Mahometanism:  Judaism 
never  was  extinct;  yet  not  one  of  these  three  bodies  of 
adversaries  have  disproved  the  facts.  It  was  reserved 
for  those  of  later  time  to  become  sceptical  upon  these 
points. 

Maria.  This  is,  however,  only  a  general  and  negative 
argument  in  favour  of  their  veracity. 

Mr.  B.  Let  us  then  descend  to  particulars,  and  exam¬ 
ine  them  in  those  points  where  we  have  most  informa¬ 
tion  from  their  adversaries,  and  the  truth  may  positively 
be  ascertained.  It  is  not  uncommon  for  rational  and  re¬ 
ligious  prejudices  very  materially  to  warp  the  mind. 
What  accounts,  then,  do  the  New  Testament  writers 
give  of  themselves  and  others, — and  how  far  do  these 
agree  with  the  statements"  of  their  adversaries? 

Now,  with  regard  to  the  Jews,  look  at  their  own  books, 
their  favourite  authors,  and  you  will  find  the  nation  was 
not  in  the  least  different  from  the  accounts  given  of  them 
by  the-writers  of  the  New  Testament.  Or  if  you  turn 
from  these  to  Josephus,  whom  they  now  abhor,  is  his 
account  any  better?  Or  do  the  Pagans  give  a  more  fa¬ 
vourable  account  of  this  proud  and  bigoted  nation? 

Again,  with  regard  to  the  Pagans,  St.  Paul’s  state¬ 
ments,  strong  as  they  are,  do  not  go  beyond  those  of  their 
own  writers,  and  even  to  the  finer  shades  we  find  the 
same  scrupulous  accuracy. 

Or  take  the  characters  of  individuals  described  by  both 
parties.  Do  the  accounts  of  Herod,  Pilate,  Agrippa, 
Felix,  and  others  differ  from  those  of  Josephus  and  the 
Roman  tvriters  who  have  mentioned  them? 

Edward.  And  in  all  these  instances  prejudice  would 
be  likely  to  influence  them. 

Mr.  B.  Again,  with  regard  to  themselves,  in  no  re¬ 
spects  do  they  appear  to  over-rate  the  character  or  influ- 

21  How  does  Mr.  B.  propose  to  vary  the  argument1? — 22  How  does  he 
show  that  the  New  Testament  account  of  the  Jews  is  correct1? — 23  What 
is  said  of  the  New  Testament  account  of  the  Pagans?-^-24  What  cases  of 
individuals  are  named  ;rn  further  proof  of  the  same  trait  in  the  New  Test¬ 
ament  account  of  character? — 25  How  does  Edward  speak  of  these  in¬ 
stances? — 26  How  do  tiie  writers  of  the  New  Testament  speak  of  them¬ 
selves? 


163 


VlDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 

ence  of  their  converts,  in  order  to  magnify  their  own 
importance.  Pliny,  you  have  seen,  bears  witness  to  the 
purity  of  their  conduct;  nor  do  any  other  accounts  ena¬ 
ble  us  to  detect  false  statements  in  this  respect. 

Edward.  Still  these  are  in  some  respects  general  state¬ 
ments  also:  are  they  found  equally  correct  in  minutiae? 

Mr.  B.  In  general  we  find  an  accuracy  of  fact,  and 
sometimes  with  an  appearance  of  carelessness  in  expres¬ 
sion,  which  is  strongly  corroborative  of  their  veracity. 
To  give  one  example, — St.  Luke  speaks  of  Sergius  Pau- 
lus  as  proconsul  of  Cyprus.  Now  Strabo  and  Dio  ex¬ 
pressly  state  that  Cyprus  was  a  praetorian  and  not  a  pro¬ 
consular  province:  and  till  very  lately  it  was  supposed, 
on  their  authority,  that  St.  Luke  was  incorrect;  but  clos¬ 
er  investigation  has  proved  his  accuracy  in  this  respect, 
a  coin  having  been  found,  bearing  an  inscription,  in 
which  the  very  term  used  by  St.  Luke  occurs.  We  find 
similar  accuracy  wherever  the  scene  of  action  is  laid. 
Now  even  a  learned  man,  however  well  informed  on 
general  topics,  could  hardly  have  preserved  uniform  ac¬ 
curacy  in  all  points  of  a  work  of  fiction  on  so  extended -a 
scale;  and  the  most  consummate  art  would  be  requisite 
to  preserve  it  with  that  appearance  of  freedom  and  care¬ 
lessness  observable  in  these  books. 

Maria.  If  the  apostles  had  not  really  lived  and  travel¬ 
led  as  they  profess  to  have  done,  it  is  then  most  improba¬ 
ble  that  they  would  have  adhered  to  truth  so  closely,  or 
indeed  have  been  informed  of  facts  so  minute,  as  to  es¬ 
cape  the  observation  of  more  learned  men. 

Mr.  B.  In  the  narratives  of  the  Gospels,  there  is  the 
same  propriety  of  expression  with  regard  to  things  purely 
local,  which  at  least  fully  proves  that  the  whole  was  so 
familiar  to  the  writer’s  mind,  that  he  naturally  made  use 
of  proper  and  determinate  expressions.  Palestine  to  this 
day  remains  an  evidence  for  the  veracity  of  the  evangel- 


27  What  case  of  St.  Luke’s  great  accuracy  is  •given'?— 28  Ts  there  a 
similar  degree  of  accuracy  in  other  parts  of  the  New  Testament'? — 29 
What  conclusion  does -Maria  draw  from  this  accuracy  in  the  statement  of 
facts'? _ 30  What  does  Mr.  B.  say  of  the  narratives  of  the  Gospels  gene¬ 

rally,  and  of  Palestine  in  particular,  in  relation  to  the  same  subject"? 


164 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


ists, — -a  noble  evidence,  whose  testimony  cannot  be  si¬ 
lenced  or  misrepresented. 

Maria.  But  if  we  find  them  correct  with  regard  to  his¬ 
torical  and  geographical  minutiae,  we  must  conclude  that 
they  were  writing  altogether  what  was  true;  or  that  they 
were  engaged  in  compiling  a  laboured,  false  account 
with  the  greatest  care,  and  affecting  accuracy  in  some 
things,  the  truth  of  which  could  be  ascertained,  that  they 
might  be  the  more  readily  believed  in  others,  when  this 
was  not  the  case. 

Mr.  B.  Yet  nothing  can  be  more  contrary  to  matter  of 
fact  than  the  latter  supposition;  for  from  one  end  to  the 
other  common  facts  are  mentioned  with  the  greatest  in¬ 
difference,  or  merelv  alluded  to  so  as  to  connect  the  nar¬ 
rative  of  the  life  of  their  Master  with  the  history  of  the 
times,  and  enable  all,  by  the  mention  of  time  and  place, 
to  ascertain  the  reality  of  the  extraordinary  occurrences 
on  which  their  attention  was  fixed.  There  is  no  effort  in 
the  Gospels,  no  display;  all  minor  considerations  are  lost 
sight  of  in  the  greatness  of  the  subject  on  which  the  au¬ 
thors  are  engaged;  and  even  then,  it  is  not  so  much  the 
giving  a  full  account  of  our  Lord,  as  the  stating  what 
they  themselves  knew,  as  in  the  case  of  St.  Matthew, 
and  St.  John,  or  of  the  truth  of  which  they  were  assured 
by  eye-witnesses,  as  in  the  case  of  St.  Luke  and  St. 
Mark. 

Edward.  If  these  writers  had  to  support  a  false  story, 
it  is  indeed  improbable  that  they  should  have  thus  acted; 
that  they  should  have  neglected  to  avail  themselves  of 
their  own  advantages,  and  left  themselves  exposed  to 
animndversion  from  the  narratives  being  different. 

Mr.  B.  But  besides  this  positive  testimony  to  the  ve¬ 
racity  of  the  evangelists,  we  must  not  omit  the  negative 
testimony  afforded,  in  that  their  enemies  never  denied 
many  things,  which,  if  false,  they  must  have  had  the 


31  What  are  the  two  cases  supposed  by  Maria,  one  of  which  must  be 
applicable  to  the  writers  of  these  books! — 32  What  does  Mr.  B.  sav  of 
her  latter  supposition! — 33  How  were  the  authors  of  the  Gospels  govern- 
eb  in  writing  those  histories! — 34  What  does  Edward  soy,  in  rel  cion  to 
them,  is  improbable! — 35  Besides  the  positive  testimony  in  favour  of  th« 
veracity  of  the  evangelists,  what  other  testimony  is  there! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  165 

power  of  detecting  and  exposing.  It  concerned  the  whole 
Jewish  nation  to  show  the  falsity  of  the  pretensions  of 
him  whom  they  had  put  to  death,  to  deny  or  to  vindicate 
the  accounts  given  of  the  conduct  of  their  rulers,  with 
regard  to  his  crucifixion.  It  afterwards  became  a  mat¬ 
ter  of  the  greatest  consequence  to  the  Roman  empire  to 
decide  upon  this  question.  The  Christians  had  increas¬ 
ed  in  numbers  and  influence  to  a  great  degree,  and  per¬ 
secutions  only  added  to  their  strength.  What  then  was 
the  direct  course  to  be  pursued,  if  the  Christian  state¬ 
ments  could  be  proved  false?  Certainly  to  prove  that 
fact.  The  evangelists  had  given  all  the  details  of  the 
death  of  the  Founder  of  this  religion  with  the  utmost 
care,  and  the  Christian  apologists  in  later  times  were 
ever  daring  them  to  the  proof.  If  Pilate  never  had  con¬ 
demned  our  Lord  to  the  peculiar  kind  of  death,  and  un¬ 
der  all  the  circumstances  alleged,  why  was  not  the  fact 
disproved  ?  The  Christians  justly  laid  the  greatest  stress 
upon  the  leading  events  of  the  life  of  their  Master:  that 
an  extraordinary  person  was  at  that  particular  time  ex¬ 
pected  to  arise,  was  known  throughout  the  whole  of  the 
eastern  parts  of  the  empire,  and  probably  in  the  west 
also;  that  the  Jews  were  in  full  expectation  that  he  was 
to  spring  from  the  house  of  David,  and  that  the  time  for 
his  appearance  was  come,  is  also  known.  The  full  be¬ 
lief  of  that  nation  induced  them  to  brave  all  the  power 
of  the  Roman  empire,  and  to  the  very  last  they  were 
sanguine  in  their  hopes  of  the  appearance  of  the  Messi- 
as.  Now  under  the^e  circumstances  a  person  did  ap¬ 
pear,  whose  life  so  influenced  many,  that  the  whole  world 
was  shortly  after  astonished  at  their  boldness,  their  zeal, 
and  perseverance.  There  appeared  a  stronger  proba¬ 
bility  every  year  that  they  would  ultimately  succeed; 
and  yet  neither  Jews  nor  Romans,  though  most  desirous 
to  crush  them,  attempted  that  which  would  have  had  the 
greatest  tendency. 


36  Who  were  interested  in  proving  the  falsity  of  Christianity  ? — 37  How 
would  they  probably  have  proceeded  in  doing  it? — 38  On  what  did  Christ¬ 
ians  lay  great  stress'?— :39  What  was  the  case  of  the  Jews  and  of  the  Ro¬ 
mans  in  relation  to  the  establishment  of  Christianity? 


166 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


Maria.  The  New  Testament  statements  have  never, 
then,  been  shown  to  be  false,  as  regards  our  Lord? 

Mr.  B.  They  have  not:  and  on  this  I  lay  the  greatest 
stress;  for  if  there  had  been  the  means  of  proving  them 
false,  it  is  utterly  incredible  that  they  should  have  been 
acknowledged  as  true. 

Maria.  But  all  the  New  Testament  statements  have 
not  been  acknowledged  as  true. 

Mr.  B.  None  have  been  proved  to  be  false,  and  some 
of  the  greatest  importance  have  been  owned  true. 

Edward.  What  is  confessed  as  true  ? 

Mr.  B.  It  is  oivned  that  Christ  worked  miracles. 

Maria.  But  by  whom? 

Mr.  B.  Both  Jews  and  Pagans. 

Maria.  But  by  any  near  the  time  of  Christ? 

Mr.  B.  Even  by  the  first  antagonist  of  his  religion, 
Celsus. 

Maria.  But  if  he  owned  the  fact,  why  did  he  not  be¬ 
come  a  Christian? 

Mr.  B.  Because  he  absurdly  supposed  those  miracles 
could  have  been  wrought  by  magic,  which  we  know  they 
could  not.  The  Jews  had  the  same  mode  of  accounting 
for  them.  Now  no  reasoning  upon  the  subject  whatsoever 
can  get  over  the  stubborn  fact,  that  the  miracles  of  Christ 
were  acknowledged  by  those  of  his  opponents  who  lived 
nearest  to  his  time,  and  had  the  best  means  of  ascertain¬ 
ing  tne  truth. 

Edward.  But  if  this  be  admitted,  the  whole  question 
seems  decided. 

Mr.  B.  It  does  not  follow,  that  because  enemies  as 
well  as  friends  believed  that  he  worked  miracles,  that 
therefore  he  did:  it  only  follows,  that  we  have  no  means 
of  proving  that  he  did  not,  by  means  of  historical  testi¬ 
mony.  But  unless  we  find  reason  to  believe,  from  inter- 


1  40  What  question  does  Maria  ask  respecting  the  New  Testament  state¬ 
ments  of  our  Lord! — 41  What  reply  does  Mr.  B.  make  to  it! — 42  What 
general  remark  does  he  make  of  the  other  New  Testament  accounts'! — 43 
What  is  confessed  as  true1? — 44  By  whom! — 45  At  how  early  a  period! — 

46  If  Celsus  admitted  the  fact,  why  did  he  not  become  a  Christian!— 

47  What  use  in  the  argument  can  be  made  of  this  and  other  similar  admis¬ 
sions! 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY.  167 

nal  evidence,  that  deception  was  practised,  then  we  must 
also  conclude  that  those  miracles  were  really  wrought. 

Edward.  And  therefore  we  must  examine  as  to  the 
probability  of  the  apostles  having  been  deceivers. 

Maria.  There  can  be  little  chance  for  any  one  who 
now  attempts  this,  since  their  first  enemies  could  not 
overthrow  those  statements  in  which  fraud  was  most  open 
to  detection. 

Edward.  We  do  not  know  that  the  miracles  were  so 
open  to  detection.  The  leading  facts  of  the  life  of  Christ 
might  be  true,  exclusively  of  the  miracles;  and  the  mir¬ 
acles  may  have  been  appended  to  it,  to  give  authority  to 
his  precepts. 

Maria.  They  may;  but  from  my  recollection  of  them, 
I  do  not  think  it  probable;  for,  though  some  of  them 
were  private,  the  greater  part  were  public. 

Edward.  But  if  it  was  believed  that  miracles  could  be 
performed  by  the  power  of  magic,  they  might  have  been 
less  examined  than  they  ought  to  have  been  at  the  time: 
the  accounts  were  not  published  till  after  his  death,  and 
then  probably  with  exaggerations,  supposing  that  preten¬ 
sions  were  really  made  to  this  power  from  the  very  be¬ 
ginning,  which  is  by  no  means  certain. 

Mr.  B.  We  will  examine,  then,  into  the  probability 
that,  the  apostles  added  these  miracles,  to  give  authority 
to  the  precepts  of  their  Master. 

If  it.  be  supposed  that  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  was  only 
a  very  superior  character,  who  vainly  attempted  the  re¬ 
formation  of  the  Jewish  nation,  and  was,  in  consequence, 
put  to  death;  and  this  is  the  only  supposition  that  can  be 
formed  by  those  who  admit  historical  testimony,  but  are 
unwilling  to  acknowledge  the  performance  of  miracles; 
then  we  must  inquire,  of  what  nature  was  his  doctrine 
and  manner  of  life — how  far  it  would  be  consistent  with 


48  What  does  Maria  say  as  to  the  apostles  having  been  deceivers'? — 49 
What  relation  does  Edward  think  there  may  have  been  between  the  lead¬ 
ing  facts  in  the  life  of  our  Lord,  and  the  miracles? — 50  Why  does  he  think 
the  miracles  might  have  been  examined  less  carefully  than  they  should 
have  been? — 51  What  does  Mr.  B.  propose  doing,  touching  the  miracles? 
— 52  What  does  he  say  is  the  only  supposition  to  be  made  by  those  who 
doubt  their  truth,  while  they  admit  historical  testimony? — 53  If  so,  what 
then  must  be  the  inquiry? 


168 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


the  allowance  of  an  attempt  to  deceive  for  the  purposes 
of  general  good — and  how  far  it  was  acted  upon  by  his 
apostles. 

Edward.  Upon  this  hypothesis,  then,  our  Lord  would 
be  a  sort  of  Jewish  Socrates;  and  his  disciples,  seeing 
the  bad  result  of  their  Master’s  attempt  to  reform  his  na¬ 
tion,  without  the  assumption  of  miraculous  powers,  after 
his  death  gave  him  that  to  which  he  himself  made  no 
pretension. 

Mr.  B.  Now  I  think  it  is  quite  certain,  that,  if  this  had 
been  the  case,  they  would,  at  least,  have  made  as  free 
with  his  doctrines,  as  with  his  life;  for  with  regard  to  his 
precepts,  few  could  detect  any  false  statements;  with 
respect  to  miracles,  they  were  at  the  mercy  of  every 
enemy. 

Maria.  It  certainly  seems  probable  that  they  would 
somewhat  soften  and  accommodate  their  statements  to 
public  prejudice. 

Mr.  B.  Now  what  are  their  doctrines?  what  are  the 
precepts  put  into  the  mouth  of  their  Lord?  The  world 
has  never  seen  a  stronger  expression  of  detestation  of 
hypocrisy  and  insincerity,  than  the  whole  of  these  writ¬ 
ings  manifest.  With  regard  to  the  nature  of  God,  as  a 
Spirit,  and  with  respect  to  his  worshippers,  who  are  to 
“worship  him  in  spirit  and  in  truth,”  the  language  is  uni¬ 
form  and  decisive,  to  so  great  a  degree,  as  utterly  to 
exclude  all  idea  of  the  men,  who  spent  their  lives  in  pro¬ 
mulgating  such  opinions,  entertaining  any  hope  that  by 
deception  they  could  recommend  this  religion.  Of  those 
“  who  do  evil  that  good  may  come,”  they  teach  that  “  their 
damnation  is  just;”  they  threaten  eternal  vengeance 
against  “  all  liars and  the  most  terrible  miracle  re¬ 
corded  in  the  volume,  is  connected  with  “  lying  unto  the 
Holy  Ghost.”  If  any  fact  be  certain,  this  is  most  surely 
so,  that  their  professed  doctrine  did  not  admit  of  any  thing 
like  deception,  even  for  the  most  beneficial  end.  If  now 


54  What  does  Edward  say  results  from  this  hypothesis'? — 55  Had  this 
teen  the  ease,  what  does  Mr;  B.  think  quite  certain'!- — 56  What  do  they 
vay  of  the  nature  of  God,  and  of  the  worship  due  him'? — 57  Against  what 
sins  do  they  denounce  Vengeance'?— 58  What  fact  relating  to  their  doctrine 
does  Mr.  B.  think  certain! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  169 

a  single  miracle  were  disproved,  by  their  own. uniform 
doctrine  they  were  accursed. 

Maria.  And  in  those  times  it  was  in  the  power  of  any 
one  to  ascertain  the  truth,  so  that  they  never  would  have 
run  so  great  a  risk. 

Mr.  B.  Now  before  we  consider  the  miracles  related 
of  our  Lord,  let  us  refer  to  those  connected  with  St.  Paul. 
Among  the  common  historical  facts  which  are  generally 
admitted,  I  think  we  must  admit  St.  Paul’s  defences  be¬ 
fore  the  sanhedrim,  to  Felix,  and  Agrippa.  They  were 
public  acts,  and  can  no  more  be  denied,  than  the  trials 
of  Archbishop  Laud,  or  Lord  William  Russell.  Now 
would  St.  Paul,  upon  such  an  occasion,  solemnly  state 
the  fact  of  a  miraculous  interposition  from  heaven,  in  the 
presence  of  those  who  undoubtedly  could  have  produced 
witnesses  to  prove  the  contrary,  had  his  statement  been 
false?  St.  Paul’s  previous  life  was  known,  as  he  asserts, 
to  all  the  Jews;  the  fact  of  his  conversion  was  equally 
notorious.  By  his  change  of  religion,  he  made  the  heavi¬ 
est  charge  against  the  rulers  of  Judea  which  could  be 
made  against  men;  and,  from  the  nature  of  the  case, 
their  rage  against  him  must  have  been  excited  to  the 
very  utmost.  Now  under  these  circumstances,  I  say, 
that  mere  madness  alone  could  have  prompted  his  con¬ 
duct  in  the  first  instance  in  joining  the  Christians,  or,  in 
the  second,  in  adopting  such  a  method  of  defence,  unless 
the  miracle  was  real. 

Maria.  Festus  accused  him  of  madness. 

Mr.  B.  And  what  followed?  “  But  he  said,  I  am  not 
mad,  most  noble  Festus,  but  speak  forth  the  words  of 
truth  and  soberness.  For  the  king  knoweth  of  these 
things,  before  whom  also  I  speak  freely:  for  I  am  per¬ 
suaded  that  none  of  these  things  are  hidden  from  him; 
for  this  thing  was  not  done  in  a  corner.  King  Agrippa, 
believest  thou  the  prophets?  I  know  that  thou  believest. 


59  What  does  Mr,.  B.  propose  doing  before  considering  the  miracles?— 
60  What  important  facts  in  the  life  of  St.  Paul  are  named,  and  what  is 
said  of  them?— 61  What  is  said  of  the  probability  of  such  a  change  in  St. 
Paul’s  religion,  if  the  miracle  related,  connected  with  his  conversion,  were 
not  true?— 62  What  did  St.  Paul  say  in  reply,  when  accused  of  madness 
by  Festus? 


15. 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


170 


Then  Agrippa  said  unto  Paul,  Almost  thou  persuadest 
me  to  be  a  Christian.  And  Paul  said,  I  would  to  God 
that  not  only  thou,  but  also  all  that  hear  me  this  day, 
were  both  almost,  and  altogether  such  as  I  am,  except 
these  bonds.” — Acts,  xxvi.  25 — 29. 

Edward.  Festus,  in  accusing  him  of  madness,  imputed 
it  to  too  much  learning. 

Mr.  B.  And  the  whole  of  St.  Paul’s  epistles  and  speech¬ 
es  prove  not  only  his  learning,  but  his  “  truth  and  sober¬ 
ness.”  So  long  as  the  writings  of  St.  Paul  remain,  the 
infidel  will  have  to  acknowledge  in  them  a  greater  mira¬ 
cle  than  the  one  he  seeks  to  escape,  in  rejecting  the  ac¬ 
count  of  St.  Paul’s  conversion.  It  appears  to  me  abso¬ 
lutely  impossible  to  account  for  the  difference  between 
St.  Paul’s  writings,  and  those  of  the  Jews  who  lived 
nearest  to  his  time,  upon  any  other  principle  than  that 
of  a  real  conversion,  occasioned  by  a  real  miracle.  Why 
should  St.  Paul  have  so  differed  from  others  who  sat  at 
the  feet  of  Gamaliel  ?  Why  should  he,  rather  than  any 
other,  become  a  martyr  to  the  faith  he  had  before  perse¬ 
cuted?  Why  should  this  Jew,  rather  than  any  other, 
from  a  narrow  bigot,  become  the  most  active  philan¬ 
thropist  the  world  has  yet  seen?  Why  should  Paul  of 
Tarsus  alone  teach  truth  with  a  certainty,  which  no  dif¬ 
ference  of  place  could  alter,  no  length  of  time  diminish? 

Edward.  Might  not  his  intercourse  with  other  nations 
make  the  difference? 

Mr.  B.  Had  he  alone  intercourse  with  them?  Look 
at  the  philosophy  of  Philo,  or  compare  the  apostle  with 
Josephus.  It  was  neither  Grecian  philosophy  nor  Gre¬ 
cian  patriotism  that  taught  St.  Paul;  that  made  him  very 
“  gladly  spend  and  be  spent,  though  the  more  he  laboured, 
the  less  he  was  loved;”  that  made  him  account  himself 
“  a  debtor  both  to  the  Greeks  and  to  the  barbarians,  to  the 
wise  and  to  the  unwise.”  The  more  you  consider  the 


63  What  do  the  epistles  and  speeches  of  Paul  prove? — 64  What  re¬ 
specting  St.  Paul’s  supposed  conversion  seems  impossible  to  Mr.  B.? — 65 
What  questions  does  he  ask,  showing  the  improbability  of  any  deception? 
— 66  Edward  asks  if  his  intercourse  with  other  nations  might  not  havo 
made  die  difference — what  i6  the  answer? — 67  How  are  we  affected  upon 
this  subject  by  protracted  consideration  of  St.  Paul’s  character? 


1 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  171 

character  of  St.  Paul,  the  more  convinced  you  must  be¬ 
come  of  the  truth  of  the  miracles  of  the  New  Testament; 
for  nothing  else  can  account  fbr  it.  The  good  Lord  Lyt- 
tleton  wrote  an  excellent  little  book  on  this  subject,  which 
you  ought  by  all  means  to  read. 

Edward.  But  might  not  the  excellency  of  the  Christ¬ 
ian  religion  produce  those  effects  on  St.  Paul,  independ¬ 
ently  of  miraculous  agency?  Might  he  not  have  been 
deceived,  and  his  mind  being  strongly  worked  upon,  make 
him  thus  zealous,  in  what  he  deemed  a  good  cause  ? 

Mr.  B.  St.  Paul  could  not  have  been  deceived.  The 
miracle  was  wrought  at  a  time  when  no  prejudice  of  his 
mind  favoured  deception;  in  open  day;  in  the  open  coun¬ 
try;  it  affected  others  as  well  as  himself;  and  its  effects 
on  him  were  permanent,  so  that  no  doubt  eould  remain 
of  the  reality  of  “  the  heavenly  vision.”  His  blindness 
was  miraculously  inflicted,  and  miraculously  removed. 

Maria.  His  own  writings  prove,  also,  that  he  was  a 
man  not  easily  imposed  upon ;  and  from  his  life,  we  can¬ 
not  think  he  would  impose  upon  others. 

Mr.  B.  We  have  yet  one  more  test,  and  that  decides 
the  whole  matter,  proving  he  neither  could  have  been 
deceived  nor  deceive.  We  have  before  seen  that  his 
epistles  were  genuine. 

Maria.  Undoubtedly:  the  undesigned  coincidence  ob¬ 
servable  in  them,  when  compared  with  each  other,  and 
with  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  in  addition  to  their  univer¬ 
sal  reception  as  his,  fully  establishes  it. 

Edward.  On  that  there  can  be  no  doubt. 

Mr.  B.  But  in  these  epistles  St.  Paul  asserts,  that  he 
himself  worked  miracles,  and  that  he  had  communicated  ex¬ 
traordinary  powers  to  others  also.  Here  no  possibility  of 
deception  remains.  It  is  not  easy  to  say  how  far  the 
senses  may  be  imposed  upon;  but  no  human  power  what¬ 
soever  can  produce  on  another  effects  like  these.  No 
artifice  of  the  other  apostles  could  enable  St.  Paul  to  heal 
the  cripple  at  Lystra — to  recall  Eutychus  to  life ;  no  per- 

68  Wliv  might  notTaul  have  been  deceived”? — 69  What  does  Mr.  B. 
say  of  another  test? — 70  How  does  Maria,  reply  to  him,  touching  the  gen* 
uineness  of  Paul's  epistles? — 71  What  is  this  other  test! — 72  How  does 
Mr.  B.  speak  of  the  importance  of  it? 


172 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


suasion  on  the  part  of  St.  Paul,  or  enthusiasm  in  them¬ 
selves,  could  induce  the  Corinthians  to  believe  they  had 
received  from  him  the  power  of  speaking  languages  they 
had  never  learned. 

Edward.  And  yet  this  must  have  been  the  case,  since 
the  Corinthians  received  it  as  genuine,  and  endured  eve¬ 
ry  suffering  in  consequence,  rather  than  renounce  Christ¬ 
ianity. 

Mr.  B.  The  conclusions  which  Paley  draws  at  the  end 
of  his  Horse  Paulime,  are  all  that  is  necessary  to  state 
on  this  subject. 

1.  That  Christianity  was  not  a  story  set  on  foot,  amidst 
the  confusions  which  attended,  and  immediately  preced¬ 
ed,  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem;  when  many  extrava¬ 
gant  reports  were  circulated;  when  men’s  minds  were 
broken  by  terror  and  distress;  when,  amidst  the  tumults 
that  surrounded  them,  inquiry  was  impracticable.  These 
letters  show  incontestibly,  that  the  religion  had  fixed  ajid 
established  itself  before  this  state  of  things  took  place. 

2.  Whereas  it  hath  been  insinuated,  that  our  Gospels 
may  have  been  made  up  of  reports  and  stories  which  were 
current  at  the  time,  we  may  observe,  that,  with  respect 
to  the  Epistles,  this  is  impossible. 

3.  These  letters  prove,  that  the  converts  to  Christiani¬ 
ty  were  not  drawn  from  the  barbarous,  the  mean,  or  the 
ignorant  set  of  men,  Avhich  the  representations  of  infidel¬ 
ity  would  sometimes  make  them. 

4.  St.  Paul’s  history,  I  mean  so  much  of  it  as  may  be 
collected  from  his  letters,  is  so  implicated  with  that  of 
the  other  apostles,  and  with  the  substance  indeed  of  the 
Christian  history  itself,  that  I  apprehend  it  will  be  found 
impossible  to  admit  St.  Paul’s  story  (I  do  not  speak  of 
the  miraculous  part  of  it)  to  be  true,  and  yret  to  reject 
the  rest  as  fabulous. 

5.  St.  Paul’s  letters  furnish  evidence  (and  what  better 
evidence  than  a  man’s  own  letters  can  be  desired?)  of 
the  soundness  and  sobriety  of  his  judgment? 

6.  These  letters  are  decisive,  as  to  the  sufferings  of 

•  .  e 

73  What  are  the  two  first  conclusions  of  Paley  on  this  subject'? — 74 
What  are  the  third  and  fourth  ones? — 75  What  are  the  fifth,  sixth,  and 
seventh  conclusions  drawn  by  him? 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


173 


the  author ;  also  as  to  the  distressed  state  of  the  Christ¬ 
ian  church,  and  the  dangers  which  attended  the  preach¬ 
ing  of  the  Gospel. 

7.  St.  Paul  in  these  letters,  asserts  in  positive  and  un¬ 
equivocal  terms  his  performance  of  miracles,  strictly  and 
properly  so  called. 

CONVERSATION  XII. 

Mr.  B.  The  conversion  of  St.  Paul,  and  his  continu¬ 
ance  in  the  faith  of  Christ  till  death,  with  the  evidence 
collected  from  his  letters,  would  alone  be  sufficient  to 
establish  the  reality  of  the  miracles  of  the  New  Testa¬ 
ment  to  any  reasonable  mind;  but  beyond  this  we  may 
extend  the  proof,  and  from  the  Gospels  themselves  defend 
the  truth  of  those  parts  of  their  contents  which  relate  mi¬ 
raculous  events. 

Maria.  There  is  a  peculiar  interest  attached  to  the 
miracles  of  our  Lord. 

Mr.  B.  That  the  other  apostles  were  neither  deceivers 
nor  deceived,  is  equally  certain  with  the  case  of  St.  Paul. 
Out  of  twelve  whom  he  selected,  one  indeed  proved  false, 
but  instantly  bore  melancholy  testimony  to  the  truth,  by 
putting  an  end  to  his  life.  The  remaining  eleven,  with 
one  elected  in  the  place  of  the  traitor,  continued  till  death 
firm  in  the  faith  of  their  Master.  Most  of  them  sealed 
their  testimony  with  their  blood;  and  if  any  did  not,  the 
expectation  of  a  cruel  death  was  at  least  common  to  all. 

Maria.  They  could  hardly  have  had  this  fortitude,  but 
from  the  conviction  that  their  labours  were  acceptable  to 
God ;  which  from  their  own  doctrines  they  could  not  have, 
if  they  “  handled  the  word  of  God  deceitfully.” 

Mr.  B.  They  could  not:  nor  is  it  by  any  means  con¬ 
ceivable  that  they  believed  otherwise  than  they  taught. 


1  What  does  Mr.  B.  consider  sufficient  of  itself  to  establish  the  reality 
of  the  miracles  of  the  New  Testament1?— 2  But  from  what  other  source 
may  additional  proof  be  drawn?— 3  What  is  said  of  the  sincerity  of  the 
twelve  apostles? — 4  How  does  Maria  look  upon  tltemy  so  far  as  sincerity 
is  concerned? 


15* 


174 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


Edward.  Can  there  be  no  supposition  of  a  secret  doc¬ 
trine  only  known  to  themselves  ?  Many  sects  have  had  two 
sets  of  opinions,  one  for  themselves,  and  one  for  the  public. 

Mr.  B.  That  there  is  no  trace  of  any  secret  doctrine 
distinct  from  that  avowed,  is  certain;  and  if  it  had  ever 
existed,  we  must  have  had  some  vestiges  of  it  left.  If 
such  were  held  by  the  apostles,  how  could  it  be  conceal¬ 
ed  from  Timothy,  Titus,  and  their  fellow-labourers?  and 
if  revealed  to  them,  why  not  to  their  successors?  and  if 
so,  when  did  this  secret  doctrine  first  cease  to  be  trans¬ 
mitted  ?  If  fraud  were  necessary  at  the  commencement, 
was  it  less  necessary  hereafter?  If  it  ever  existed  at  all, 
is  it  credible  that,  among  the  numbers  who  were  liable 
to  martyrdom,  none  should  reveal  it — that,  amidst  the 
rage  of  conflicting  parties  among  themselves,  no  hint  of 
it  should  be  found? 

Maria.  There  is  certainly  no  trace  of  it  in  the  Scrip¬ 
tures,  which  is  of  most  importance. 

Mr.  B.  In  St.  Paul’s  Epistles  to  Timothy  and  Titus, 
where  we  might  have  expected  to  meet  with  it,  if  any 
where,  we  only  find  the  same  language.  Every  thing  is 
still  directed  to  be  done,  as  of  a  “  pure  conscience,  and 
faith  unfeigned;”  and  the  “  end  of  the  commandment  is 
charity”  here  as  elsewhere.  In  St.  Paul’s  other  Epistles, 
and  in  the  Epistles  of  St.  John,  St.  Peter,  St.  Jude,  and 
St.  James,  the  same  integrity,  the  same  purity  of  heart, 
are  required:  nor  is  there  any  passage  which  can  be  tor¬ 
tured  into  any  thing  like  an  insinuation  of  the  reverse  of 
“simplicity  and  godly  sincerity.”  Every  portion  of  their 
writings  exhibits  them  as  men  of  the  deepest  piety — as 
men  who  would  abhor  the  wickedness  of  recommending 
a  course  of  life  as  of  divine  authority  which  they  knew 
was  nof  so. 

Edward.  But  might  not  their  real  sentiments  be  alto¬ 
gether  concealed?  Prosperity  and  adversity  exhibit  the 
same  characters  under  very  different  lights. 


5  What  Hoes  Edward  suppose,  as  to  a  secret  doctrine1? — 6  In  what 
way  does  Mr.  B.  refute  such  an  ideal — 7  Do  the  epistles  to  Timothy  and 
Titus  have  any  bearing  upon  this  point? — 8  What  is  said  of  the  other 
epistles  upon  the  same  matter? — 9  What  question  does  Edward  ask,  re¬ 
specting  their  real  sentiments? 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


175 


Mr.  B.  But  that  we  have  their  real  sentiments  we  may 
rest  assured,  from  the  degree  of  intelligence  which  we 
perceive  in  them,  and  our  knowledge  of  their  situation  in 
life.  Their  works  prove  to  us,  that  they  could  not  have 
entertained  the  chimerical  thought  of  establishing  the  re¬ 
ligion  they  preached  without  Divine  aid.  They  had,  un¬ 
less  the  miracles  of  our  Lord  were  real,  no  motive  for 
attempting  it;  they  were,  unless  supported  by  Divine 
power,  manifestly  unfit  for  it;  they  were  by  education, 
and  the  circumstances  of  birth,  wholly  indisposed  to¬ 
wards  it.  Their  Master  had  preached  in  Palestine,  and 
been  crucified  in  consequence.  Were  they  so  infatuated 
as  to  think  they  should  escape,  and  that  out  of  Judea, 
where  their  nation  was  hated,  they  should  meet  with  a 
better  reception? 

Edward.  It  does  not  appear  probable,  but  men  some¬ 
times  run  great  risks  for  the  chance  of  great  gains. 

Mr.  B.  But  what  could  they  gain  ?  If  any  hope  of  gain 
did  exist,  it  must  have  been  founded  on  the  chance  of 
success,  and  without  Divine  aid  they  had  no  chance. 
They  made  all  men  their  enemies,  and  that  not  indiffer¬ 
ent,  but  violent  enemies.  They  attacked  the  vices  and 
prejudices  of  men  in  such  a  manner,  that  no  chance  re¬ 
mained  for  their  party,  but  by  the  obstinate  perseverance 
of  their  converts;  and  unquestionably  the  apostles  \yere 
the  most  likely  to  fall  first.  Hear  St.  Paul:  “  For  I 
think  that  God  hath  set  forth  us  the  apostles  last,  as  it  were 
appointed  to  death:  for  we  are  made  a  spectacle  unto 
the  world,  and  to  angels,  and  to  men.  We  are  fools  for 
Christ’s  sake,  but  ye  are  wise  in  Christ;  we  are  weak, 
but  ye  are  strong;  ye  are  honourable,  but  wc  are  despis¬ 
ed.  Even  unto  this  present  hour  we  both  hunger  and 
thirst,  and  are  naked,  and  are  buffeted,  and  have  no  cer¬ 
tain  dwelling-place;  and  labour,  working  with  our  own 
hands:  being  reviled,  we  bless;  being  persecuted,  we 
suffer  it;  being  defamed,  we  entreat:  we  are  made  as  the 


10  What  is  proved  to  ns  by  the  works  of  the  apostles  in  relation  to  this 
subject'? — 11  How  would  they  have  been  affected  from  an  apprehension 
that  the  miracles  recorded  of  our  Lord  were  not  real? — 12  How  were  their 
worldly  interests  to  be  affected  by  preaching  Christianity? — 13  What  is 
said  by  St.  Paul  himself  in  relation  to  the  effect  on  these  interests'? 


176 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


offscouring  of  all  things  unto  this  day.**  1  Cor.  iv.  9 — 
13. 

Maria.  But  did  they  always  expect  suffering? 

Mr.  B.  Not  before  the  resurrection  of  our  Lord.  We 
previously  find  them  sanguine  in  their  hopes  of  advance¬ 
ment,  and  calculating  upon  the  future.  Yet  they  tell  us 
that  from  the  beginning  they  were  warned,  that  “  in  the 
world  they  should  have  tribulation.”  Afterwards  we  find 
they  not  only  professed  to  expect  this  for  themselves,  but 
even  inculcated  the  same  upon  their  converts.  “  We 
ought  also  to  lay  down  our  lives  for  the  brethren,”  says 
St.  John.  “  Beloved,  think  it  not  strange  concerning 
the  fiery  trial  which  is  to  try  you,  as  though  some  strange 
thing  happened  unto  you:  but  rejoice,  inasmuch  as  ye 
are  partakers  of  Christ’s  sufferings,”  says  St.  Peter. 
“  My  brethren,  count  it  all  joy  when  ye  fall  into  divers 
temptations,”  says  St.  James. 

Maria.  Language  like  this  could  never  have  been 
used  by  impostors.  It  is  contrary  to  common  sense  to 
suppose  that  any  one  would  attempt  to  establish  a  reli¬ 
gion,  when  he  inculcated  such  precepts,  unless  he  was 
supported  by  the  integrity  of  his  intention,  and  the  con¬ 
sciousness  of  the  approval  of  his  Maker. 

Mr.  B.  If  it  be  supposed  that  the  apostles  were  de¬ 
ceivers,  they  must  be  allowed  to  have  had  some  of  the 
qualifications  of  deceivers.  But  the  whole  of  the  New 
Testament  is  so  found  in  opposition  to  all  that  was  then 
most  likely  to  succeed,  that  this  opinion  cannot  be  re¬ 
tained  with  the  least  regard  to  consistency.  No  de¬ 
ceiver  would  run  in  all  things  counter  to  prejudice, 
would  neglect  to  lay  hold  on  some  failing,  or  to  avail 
himself  of  some  prevailing  passion.  No  impostor  could 
venture  upon  such  an  undertaking  without  securing  some 
present  aid,  or  holding  out  to  his  followers  the  expecta¬ 
tion  of  future  support. 


14  Did  the  apostles  expect  suffering  from  the  beginning!— 15  What 
were  their  views,  subsequently  to  the  resurrection,  on  the  subject! — 16 
How  does  Maria  look  upon  the  expressions  of  the  apostles  on  the  subject 
quoted  by  IVJr.  B.! — 17  If  the  apostles  were  deceivers,  what  must  we  sup¬ 
pose  of  them! — 18  How  does  it  appear  that  this  could  not  have  been  true 
of  them! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


177 


Ediuard.  But  the  disciples  had  no  such  hope;  for  their 
preaching  was  “to  the  Jews  a  stumbling-block,  and  to 
the  Greeks  foolishness.” 

Mr.  B.  We  are  hardly  sufficiently  aware  of  the  ab¬ 
surdity  which  then  appeared  in  “  preaching  Christ  cru¬ 
cified.”  We  have  got  used  to  the  idea;  and  it  is  only 
by  the  horror  with  which  the  Jews  regard  the  notion  of 
their  Messiah  thus  suffering,  that  we  can  form  any  ade¬ 
quate  idea  of  the  hopelessness  off  attempting  such  a 
cause  without  the  certain  support  of  Divine  aid.  In  the 
works  of  the  Pagan  antagonists  of  Christianity  we  have 
some  traces  of  the  manner  in  which  the  more  polished 
nations  of  antiquity  regarded  it,  as  you  have  already 
seen. 

Edward.  But  might  they  not  hope  that  their  report  of 
miracles  would  influence  others  as  much  as  the  actual 
performance  of  miracles  would  influence  themselves? 

Mr.  B.  I  do  not  think  that  they  would  have  had  any 
idea  of  the  influence  of  miracles  upon  the  mind,  if  they 
had  not  seen  them.  As  to  the  world  at  large,  they  must 
have  known  that  the  report  of  miracles  could  have  but 
little  influence,  for  all  sorts  of  tales  of  prodigies  were 
current.  The  few  real  miracles  that  had  been  performed 
of  old  time  had  taught  the  priests  of  all  the  then  exist¬ 
ing  superstitions  to  pretend  to  wonders  of  some  kind  or 
other,  till  all  were  falling  into  contempt.  Even  the  ac¬ 
tual  evidence  of  miracles  was  not  sufficient  to  overcome 
the  prejudice  some  had  to  Christianity;  and  the  then 
current  answer  to  all  pretensions  of  this  kind,  viz.  the 
imputing  them  to  magical  arts,  and  the  influence  of  evil 
spirits,  must  have  been  known  to  them  as  well  as  their 
enemies.  If  they  found  themselves  supernaturally  en¬ 
dowed  with  the  power  of  working  miracles,  they  had  the 
evidence  in  themselves  that  God  was  with  them,  and 
they  could  have  no  doubt  that  their  Lord  and  Master 
was  risen  from  the  dead;  but  without  that  power,  they 


19  What  does  Mr.  B.  say  of  preaching  Christ  crucified,  on  the  suppo¬ 
sition  that  they  did  not  expect  divine  aid! — 20  What  question  does  Ed¬ 
ward  ask  concerning  the  influence  of  miracles'! — 21  But  how  are  we  to 
presume,  that  the  idea  of  miracles  would  have  operated  upon  the  world  at 
large'!— 22  When  seen,  to  what  power  were  they  usually  ascribed! 


178 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


might  after  a  time  have  donbted  of  the  reality  of  what 
they  had  seen  with  their  own  eyes,  and  have  returned 
to  their  former  occupations:  and  without  that  knowledge 
of  the  reality,  it  seems  inconceivable  to  suppose  they 
would  have  persisted  in  a  course  in  which  their  Master 
had  perished.  Had  they  been  deceivers,  they  must  have 
been  conscious  that  a  religion  such  as  Christianity  would 
inevitably  bring  upon  its  votaries  persecution,  as  upon 
its  Founder.  If  they  had  wished  to  render  it  subservi¬ 
ent  to  their  interest,  they  would  have  altered  it  to  suit 
the  popular  taste;  but  by  persisting  in  it,  despite  of 
warnings  and  example,  they  prove  beyond  all  doubt  their 
sincerity;  they  establish  beyond  all  question  the  reality 
of  their  belief  in  the  miracles  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth. 

Ma  ria.  There  does  not  appear  any  other  way  of  ac¬ 
counting  for  their  conduct  upon  rational  principles,  than 
that  they  were  what  they  profess  to  be,  sincere  and  up¬ 
right  servants  of  God,  fully  convinced  that  Jesus  of 
Nazareth  was  sent  from  Him,  and  that  the  miracles  he 
had  wrought  were  a  sufficient  attestation  of  a  divine 
mission. 

Edward.  Nor  does  it  seem  possible  to  account  them 
deceivers,  since  their  conduct  proves  they  neglected 
every  art  which  deceivers  would  have  cultivated,  and 
threw  the  reality  of  their  pretensions  upon  a  proof  which 
was  least  likely  to  win  over  converts. 

Mr.  B.  But  if  the  apostles  were  not  deceivers,  we  can 
ourselves  determine  that  they  were  not  deceived  ;  for 
the  narratives  which  are  given  us  are  such,  that  no  place 
for  deception  remains.  The  miracles  performed  by  our 
Lord  were  too  numerous,  and  too  evident,  to  leave  any 
doubt  upon  the  mind;  they  left  none  upon  the  minds  of 
those  who  witnessed  them,  whether  friends  or  foes. 

Maria.  But  from  the  belief  that  miracles  might  be 
performed  without  the  intervention  of  the  Supreme  Be- 

23  What  was  necessary  in  order  to  have  induced  the  apostles  to  persist 
in  a  course  which  had  been  ruinous  to  their  Master! — 24  II  they  had  been 
deceivers,  and  wished  to  render  religion  subservient  to  their  interests, 
what  would  have  been  true  of  them! — 25  On  what  principle  alone  does 
Maria  conclude  that  their  conduct  can  be  accounted  for! — 26  Why  does 
Edward  think  they  could  not  have  been  deceivers! — 27  If  they  were  not 
deceivers,  why  does  Mr.  B.  suppose  they  could  not  have  been  deceived! 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY. 


m 

ing,  is  it  not  probable  that  these  miracles  were  less 
carefully  examined  into  than  they  ought  to  have  been? 

Mr.  B.  Some  of  them  appear  to  have  been  very 
strictly  inquired  into,  as  in  the  case  of  the  man  born 
blind,  whose  eyes  were  opened,  as  related  by  St,  John, 
when  the  Pharisees  examined  both  the  man  and  his  pa¬ 
rents.  No  doubt  appears  to  have  been  entertained  by 
the  council  which  assembled  to  consult  upon  the  raising 
of  Lazarus.  The  reasoning  employed  upon  that  occa¬ 
sion  is  very  singular,  and  strikingly  exemplifies  the  be¬ 
lief  and  expectations  of  the  Jews  at  that  time.  “  Then 
gathered  the  chief  priests  and  the  Pharisees  a  council, 
and  said,  What  do  we?  for  this  man  doeth  many  miracles. 
If  we  let  him  thus  alone,  all  men  will  believe  on  him; 
and  the  Romans  shall  come,  and  take  away  both  our 
place  and  nation.” — John  xi.  47,  48.  In  what  manner 
the  Jews  brought  themselves  to  act  against  the  evidence 
of  miracles  we  cannot  at  this  distance  of  time  clearly 
determine,  nor  is  it  of  any  great  importance,  considering 
the  wretched  state  into  which  that  nation  had  fallen. 
We  want  not  their  reasonings  upon  the  fact:  all  that  is 
necessary  for  us  is  the  fact  itself;  and  there  certainly  is 
no  fact  more  universally  attested  than  this, — that  the 
Founder  of  Christianity  did  work  miracles.  It  is  alto¬ 
gether  out  of  the  power  of  any  one  to  disprove  it  by 
testimony;  and  it  can  therefore  only  be  overthrown  by 
internal  evidence  against  it,  or  by  its  leading  to  absurd 
and  impossible  conclusions  in  confirming  the  truth  of  the 
Christian  religion. 

Maria.  Contradictions  in  the  accounts  of  the  miracles 
would  overthrow  the  whole. 

Mr.  B.  But  no  such  contradictions  are  to  be  found. 
You  must  remember  a  most  material  distinction  is  to  be 
drawn  between  varying  and  contradictory  accounts  of  the 
same  fact.  Three  persons  giving  an  account  of  the 

28  On  what  account  does  Maria  think  the  miracles  might  have  been 
less  carefully  examined  than  they  should  have  been? — 29  How  does  Mr. 
B.  reply  to  her? — 30  What  is  an  instance  of  .their  reasoning  upon  the  sub¬ 
ject,  as  quoted  from  St.  John’s  gospel? — 31  What  is  said  in  relation  to 
the  fact,  tiiat  the  Jews  were  accustomed  to  act  against  the  evidence  of  mir¬ 
acles? — 32  Are  there  any  contradictions  in  the  accounts  of  the  miracles'? 


180 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


same  fact  will  each  relate  what  fell  immediately  before 
his  own  eyes,  and  affected  his  own  mind  most  forcibly. 
It  would  require  a  second  miracle  to  make  all  the  wit¬ 
nesses  of  a  miracle  agree  in  their  accounts  of  it,  to  that 
degree  which  some  would  require;  for  it  certainly  would 
be  a  violation  of  the  usual  course  of  things  that  the  same 
event  should  strike  different  persons,,  differently  situated 
in  all  points,  alike,  and  that  independent  witnesses 
should  give  precisely  the  same  account. 

Edward.  If  witnesses  thus  agreed,  it  would  have  very 
much  the  appearance  of  design. 

Maria.  Is  there  not  too  much  agreement,  instead  of  too 
little,  in  the  statements  of  the  three  first  evangelists  ? 
May  we  not  thence  infer  they  copied  from  each  other? 

Mr.  B.  There  are  insuperable  objections  to  the  hy¬ 
pothesis  of  their  having  copied  from  each  other;  and  the 
accounting  both  for  the  matter  and  for  the  words  which 
they  have  in  common  is  attended  with  considerable  diffi¬ 
culties.  You  will  find  in  the  notes  to  Michaelis  an  in¬ 
genious  hypothesis  by  the  learned  translator,  which  has 
excited  a  good  deal  of  controversy  upon  the  subject,  and 
has  not  yet  led  to  any  decision.  There  can  be  little 
doubt  that  the  translator  of  St.  Matthew  has  availed  him¬ 
self  of  the  Gospels  of  St.  Mark  and  St.  Luke,  where 
they  had  matter  in  common  with  the  first,  which  accounts 
in  some  measure  for  the  verbal  agreement;  but  we  know 
too  little  respecting  the  origin  of  the  Gospels,  for  any 
great  advances  to  be  made  towards  the  elucidation  of  the 
subject. 

Edward.  What  matter  they  have  in  common,  if  unac¬ 
companied  by  contradictory  circumstances,  must  mate¬ 
rially  strengthen  tkie  credibility  of  the  whole. 

Mr.  B.  It  does  so:  for  hitherto  no  circumstances  have 
been  adduced  of  such  a  nature  as  to  shake  our  belief. 


33  What  distinction  in  terms  is  here  suggested  as  of  importace! — 34 
How  is  this  illustrated! — 35  AVhat  questions  does  Maria  ask  respecting 
the  statements  of  the  three  first  evangelists! — 36  What  does  Mr.  B.  say 
of  this  hypothesis,  and  what  allusiorr,  on  the  subject,  does  he  make  to  Mi¬ 
chaelis! —  37  What  admission  is  made  in  relation  to  St.  Matthew! — 38 
How  is  the  credibility  of  these  books  affected  by  the  matters  in  cornmon. 
which  they  contain! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


181 


You  will  bear  in  mind  also,  that  all  which  has  been  said 
before,  as  to  the  genuineness  of  these  books,  also  con¬ 
firms  their  credibility;  for  upon  the  truth  of  these  narra¬ 
tions  of  miracles  numbers  hazarded  their  lives  and  all 
that  was  dear  to  them.  The  miracles  of  our  Lord  were 
expressly  wrought  to  sanction  his  doctrine:  upon  the 
truth  of  that  doctrine  all  the  hopes  of  the  first  Chris¬ 
tians  depended;  for  the  sake  of  that  doctrine  they  ran 
the  greatest  risks,  and  underwent  the  greatest  hardships; 
they  would  not  therefore  believe  those  miracles  without 
the  best  authority. 

Maria.  But  many  persons  have  often  been  led  away 
by  false  miracles:  many  Roman  Catholics  believe,  in 
miracles  which  Protestants  despise. 

Mr.  B.  That  there  have  been  many  false  miracles  is 
undeniable,  and  that,  numbers  have  been  deceived  by 
them  is  equally  true;  but  that  does  not  in  the  least  in¬ 
validate  the  fact  of  any  well-authenticated  miracle  hav¬ 
ing  been  wrought. 

Maria.  But  how  shall  a  distinction  be  drawn  between 
the  true  and  the  false? 

Mr.  B.  Leslie,  in  his  Short  and  Easy  Method  with 
the  Deists,  has  given  the  following  rules  : — 

“1.  That  the  matter  of  fact  be  such,  as  that  men’s 
outward  senses,  their  eyes  and  ears,  may  be  judges 
of  it. 

“  2.  That  it  be  done  publicly  in  the  face  of  the  world. 

“  3.  That  not  only  public  monuments  be  kept  up  in 
memory  of  it,  but  some  outward  actions  to  be  performed. 

“  4.  That  such  monuments  and  such  actions  or  ob¬ 
servances  be  instituted,  and  do  commence  from  the  time 
that  the  matter  of  fact  was  done.” — Leslie's  Works,  vol. 
i.  p.  11. 

Of  these  the  two  first  exclude  the  possibility  of  impo¬ 
sition  at  the  time,  and  the  two  last  subsequently. 

Edward.  Are  there  examples  given  of  the  application 
of  these  rules? 

39  For  what  purpose  were  the  miracles  of  our  Lord  wrought1?— 40 
What  does  Mr.  B.  say  of  (lie  pretended  miracles  that  have  been  named?— 
'  41  Who  has  given  rules  for  distinguishing  between  true  and  false  tuira- 
clegi _ 42  What  are  these  rules?— 43  What  is  said  of  them? 

16 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


182 

Mr.  B.  Leslie  applies' them,  1st,  to  Moses;  2dly,  to 
Christ;  and,  3dly,  to  Mahomet;  and  concludes  on  tho 
whole,  that  no  fabulous  action  has  all  these  marks;  that 
there  is  greater  certainty  for  Christianity  than  for  other 
received  facts;  and  that  the  importance  of  the  subject 
makes  deception  more  difficult. 

Maria.  And  have  no  miracles  been  ascertained  as  an¬ 
swering  the  conditions  required  in  these  rules  except 
those  of  the  Bible? 

Mr.  B.  None,  as  far  as  my  knowledge  extends;  and 
I  believe  the  rules  are  pretty  generally  admitted  as  con¬ 
clusive. 

Maria.  In  what  manner  can  the  force  of  the  eviden¬ 
ce?  for  the  miracles  of  the  New  Testament  be  evaded, 
admitting  its  genuineness  ? 

Mr.  B.  The  most  singular  perhaps  is  one  which  was 
attempted  about  an  hundred  years  ago — in  maintaining 
that  they  were  to  be  understood  allegorically,  and  not 
literally. 

Maria.  What  could  possibly  give  rise  to  so  strange  an 
idea  ? 

Mr.  B.  Possibly  a  similar  attempt  made  a  short  time 
before,  in  which  the  force  of  the  argument  from  prophecy 
was  attacked  in  the  same  way.  It  is  hardly  necessary 
to  add,  that  both  were  wholly  unavailing. 

Maria.  Was  then  the  attempt  to  overthrow  the  mira¬ 
cles  given  up? 

Mr.  B.  The  great  miracle  of  all,  the  resurrection  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  was  more  particularly  attacked, 
which  produced  many  excellent  defences  of  it,  particu¬ 
larly  Sherlock’s  “  Trial  of  the  Witnesses,”  in  which 
the  evidence  for  this  particular  miracle  is  placed  in  a 
very  striking  light. 

Edward.  But  are  there  not  serious  difficulties,  if  not 
contradictions,  in  the  account  of  the  resurrection? 


44  What  application  of  these  rules  is  given! — 45  Have  any  miracles 
been  ascertained,  except  those  in  the  Bible,  answering  the  conditions  re¬ 
quired  in  these  rules! — 46  After  having  admitted  the  genuineness  of  the 
miracles  in  the  New  Testament,  what  method  has  been  attempted  to  evade 
their  force! — 47  What  could  have  given  rise  to  so  strange  an  idea! — 48 
Maria  asks,  if  the  attempt  to  overtkrow4.be  miracles  waa  .given  up— what 
is  the  answer  to  this  question! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  183 

Mr.  B.  I  think  the  work  just  mentioned  ■will  satisfy 
you;  but  you  may  also  read  Mr.  West’s  book  on  the 
same  subject,  in  which  he  has  harmonised  the  accounts 
of  the  evangelists  very  satisfactorily. 

Maria.  All  the  evangelists  bear  witness  to  that  fact. 

Mr.  B.  Not  only  so;  but  “It  is  completely  certain 
that  the  apostles  of  Christ  and  the  first  teachers  of  Chris  • 
tianity  asserted  the  fact;  and  this  would  have  been  cer 
tain  if  the  four  Gospels  had  been  lost  or  never  written 
Every  piece  of  Scripture  recognises  the  resurrection, 
every  epistle  of  every  apostle,  every  author  contempo¬ 
rary  with  the  apostles,  of  the  age  immediately  succeed¬ 
ing  the  apostles,  every  writing  from  that  age  to  the 
present,  genuine  or  spurious,  on  the  side  of  Christianity 
or  against  it,  concur  in  representing  the  resurrection  of 
Christ  as  an  article  of  his  history  received  without  doubt 
or  disagreement  by  all  who  called  themselves  Chris¬ 
tians,  as  alleged  from  the  beginning  by  the  propagators 
of  the  institution,  and  alleged  as  the  centre  of  their  tes¬ 
timony.” — Palcy,  vol.  ii.  p.  97. 

Edivard.  On  these  accounts  it  is  no  wonder  that  the 
Jews,  who  acknowledge  the  other  miracles  of  our  Lord, 
should  deny  this;  and  it  may  well  be  the  great  object  of 
infidels  to  overthrow  it. 

Mr.  B.  The  fact  seems,  however,  beyond  the  reach  of 
human  power  to  disturb.  The  New  Testament  state¬ 
ment  of  the  resurrection  accounts  satisfactorily  for  that 
which  without  it  is  unaccountable.  The  Jewish  account 
of  the  body  being  stolen  whilst  the  guards  stationed  to 
watch  at  the  sepulchre  were  asleep  is  palpably  absurd: 
the  body  never  could  be  produced  or  traced,  nor  has  any 
tolerable  account  yet  been  drawn  up  more  probable.  If 
the  resurrection  had  not  taken  place,  there  was  no  rea¬ 
son  why  the  disciples  should  propagate  this  new  faith; 
they  were  Jews,  and  must  have  looked  for  another;  they 
were  poor  and  unlearned  men,  wholly  unequal  to  con- 


49  What  is  said  of  Mr.  West’s  book  on  the  resurrection! — 50  What 
does  Palev  say  upon  the  same  subject! — 51  What  distinction  do  the  Jews 
make  between  the  resurrection  of  our  Lord  and  the  other  miracles'? — 52 
What  is  said  of  the  Jewish  account  of  the  resurrection! — 53  If  the  resur¬ 
rection  had  not  taken  place,  what  assertion  is  made  respecting  the  disciples! 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


184 

tending  with  the  power  of  the  state,  and  must  have  been 
more  disposed  to  let  the  matter  be  forgotten  than  to  ex¬ 
pose  themselves  for  one  who  had  disappointed  their  ex¬ 
pectations.  On  this  great  fact  every  one  can  judge :  all 
parties  agree  that  the  Founder  of  this  religion  was  put 
to  death;  all  agree  that  his  first  followers  were  taken  from 
very  low  stations;  all  agree  that,  from  the  time  assigned 
for  his  resurrection,  the  exertions  of  his  followers  were 
great  and  successful,  beyond  any  thing  in  the  history  of 
mankind.  It  is  also  certain  that  from  them  we  have  re¬ 
ceived  the  only  system  of  professedly  revealed  religion 
capable  of  universal  dissemination,  and  adapted  for  every 
age,  which  has  yet  been  produced;  that  this  alone  con¬ 
tains  a  perfect  morality,  and  motives  sufficiently  powerful 
to  affect  all  ranks  and  stations  in  life.  We  also  know, 
that  to  transmit  this  to  us  they  endured  the  heaviest  af¬ 
flictions,  and  closed  lives  of  the  most  arduous  exertion 
by  painful  and  ignominious  deaths;  and  to  the  last  per¬ 
sisted  in  giving  the  same  account,  and  made  the  fact  of 
the  resurrection  of  their  Lord  their  great  ground  of  con¬ 
solation,  as  they  had  ever  made  it  the  great  motive  for 
action.  Now,  under  all  these  circumstances,  who  will 
venture  to  reject  their  testimony?  who  will  be  so  affect¬ 
edly  incredulous  as  to  doubt  the  truth  of  that  thus  sol¬ 
emnly  assured  to  him,  and  yet  be  so  grossly  credulous  as 
to  believe  that  a  dozen  fishermen  and  the  like,  in  a  de¬ 
spised  corner  of  a  despised  province  of  the  Roman  em¬ 
pire,  totally  destitute  of  all  outward  help,  could  project  and 
execute  such  a  project  as  the  overthrow  of  the  various 
religions  which  were  held  throughout  its  territory,  though 
interwoven  with  the  state,  with  domestic  life,  and  with 
the  recollections  of  past  glory? 

Maria.  It  cannot  be:  their  statement  must  be  true. 

Mr.  B.  But  if  any  Jew,  or  set  of  Jews,  had  intellect 
to  project  such  an  undertaking,  would  they  not  also  have 
something  like  common  sense  in  conducting  it?  Would 
they  attempt  the  most  arduous  of  all  schemes  by  the  very 


54  In  what  do  all  parties  agree! — 55  What  else  do  we  know  respecting 
them! — 56  In  view  of  these  facts,  what  questions  are  propounded! — 57 
What  ones  are  respecting  the  Jews,  as  having  an  agency  in  the  proposed 
delusion! 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY. 


185 

means  likely  to  ruin  it?  Wherever  was  there  a  false 
religion  founded  upon  such  a  basis,  or  promulgated  by 
such  means?  But  by  what  calculation  of  chances  are 
we  to  account  for  these  men  purging  their  minds  from 
the  prejudices  of  their  nation,  and  rising  far  above  all 
that  have  preceded  or  followed  them; — striking  at  every 
species  of  vice  with  so  bold  and  yet  so  unerring  an  aim; 
turning  the  human  heart  inside  out,  as  though  they  had 
all  their  lives  been  absorbed  in  the  study  of  it;  express¬ 
ing  the  most  important  truths  in  the  most  unpolished  lan¬ 
guage;  teaching  by  example  as  well  as  precept;  and,  to 
crown  all,  composing  a  character,  the  elements  of  which, 
were  to  all  others  unknown;  developing  its  excellencies 
in  the  most  varied  and  difficult  situations,  and  yet  pre¬ 
serving  to  it  such  an  appearance  of  nature,  that  the  mind 
is  constrained  to  own  its  reality  as  well  as  perfection? 

Edward.  And  yet  these  men  have  left  no  other  trace 
behind  them  but  this  religion.  If  this  had  been  merely 
human,  surely  some  further  information  would  have  de¬ 
scended  to  us. 

Mr.  B.  But  why  should  such  men  make  such  an  at¬ 
tempt?  Why,  as  Jews,  should  they  seek  to  overthrow 
the  fondest  hopes  of  their  country  ?  Why,  as  men,  should 
they  act  so  contrary  to  the  conduct  of  all  others,  as  to* 
inculcate  the  fear  of  God,  by  means  which  they  knew 
hateful  to  him  ?  What  could  be  their  motive. — what  their 
ultimate  object?  They  did  not  unite  for  secular  advan¬ 
tage  to  themselves,  nor  for  their  children,  nor  for  their 
friends,  nor  for  their  country. 

Maria.  It  is  unnecessary  saying  more;  for  nothing  but 
contradiction  in  the  religion  itself  can  overthrow  the  force 
of  the  facts,  that  the  New  Testament  was  delivered  to  us 
by  such  men,  and  under  such  circumstances. 

Mr.  B.  Nothing  else  can;  and  this  you  must  therefore 
bear  in  mind.  We  have  proceeded  step  by  step,  till  we 


58  How  can  we  account  for  the  fact,  that  these  men  rose  so  much  in 
character  above  what  might  have  been  expected  of  them,,  on  the  supposi¬ 
tion  that  Christianity  is  not  true1?— 60  Might  they  not  have  been  governed 
by  some  secular  motives'? — 61  Why  does  Maria  say  it  is  unnecessary  to 
proceed  further  in  the  argument'? — 62  To  what  conclusion  has  Mr.  B.  ar¬ 
rived? 


16* 


186 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


have  arrived  at  the  conclusion  that  miracles  were  wrought, 
which  prove  Christianity  to  be  true;  for  it  cannot  be  ne¬ 
cessary  to  argue  in  these  days  against  magic;  nor  can  it 
need  any  long  consideration  to  show  that  the  power  of 
suspending  the  laws  of  nature  is  in  the  hands  of  Him  alone 
who  ordained  those  laws.  If  we  may  not  conclude  that 
the  miracles  of  the  New  Testament  were  really  wrought, 
all  reliance  upon  any  testimony,  however  strong,  must  be 
at  an  end,  and  no  settled  principles  of  action  between  man 
and  man  can  subsist:  if  we  may  not  conclude  from  those 
miracles,  that  the  religion  in  question  is  of  divine  origin, 
all  confidence  towards  God  also  must  cease;  and  practi¬ 
cal  if  not  theoretical  atheism  must  be  the  result. 

Edivard.  Do  you  then  think  it  necessary  to  pursue  the 
subject  further? 

Mr.  B.  The  accumulative  force  of  the  evidences  of 
Christianity  is  not  yet  seen;  but  the  first  great  point  is 
gained,  viz.  that  if  Christianity  cannot  be  proved  to  be 
false,  it  must  be  admitted  as  true;  by  which  I  mean  that 
the  evidence  already  adduced  is  of  that  nature,  that  noth¬ 
ing  short  of  the  observance  of  the  religion  involving  an 
impossibility  can  overthrow  it,  without  overthrowing  all 
the  common  principles  by  which  the  moral  world  is  kept 
together. 

Maria.  We  must  see,  then,  what  the  religion  involves, 
and  inquire  how  far  it  can  be  observed. 

Mr.  B.  The  religion  of  the  New  Testament  involves 
several  very  important  considerations,  and  in  its  details 
perhaps  the  sceptic  may  expect  to  find  that  weakness 
which  could  not  be  detected  in  its  evidences.  But  if  in 
these  branches  also  we  find  additional  probability  that  it 
is  from  God,  no  excuse  will  remain  for  him,  who  upon 
less  chances  would  deem  it  the  height  of  folly  to  pursue 
a  different  line  of  conduct  to  what  prudence  dictated. 


63  What  is  the  consequence,  if  we  may  not  conclude  that  the  miracles 
of  the  New  Testament  were  really  wroughtT — 64  And  what  will  be  the 
consequence,  if  we  may  not  conclude  from  those  miracles,  that  Christian¬ 
ity  is  of  divine  originT — 65  Edward  asks,  if  it  is  necessary  to  pursue  the 
argument  further — what  is  the  reply  of  Mr.  B.T — 66  What  remark  does 
he  make  of  the  sceptic,  in  relation  to  the  argumentT 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  187 

Maria.  How  will  you  then  consider  the  remaining  por¬ 
tions  of  this  subject? 

Mr.  B.  If  the  New  Testament  be  inspired,  as  is  gene¬ 
rally  believed,  any  fault  inconsistent  with  that  inspiration 
overthrows  its  claims.  If  the  religion  therein  inculcated 
profess  to  be  of  universal  obligation,  when  from  the  na¬ 
ture  of  things  this  cannot  be  the  case,  it  also  falls  to  the 
ground.  If  it  be  founded  upon  the  Old  Testament,  and 
be  connected  with  it,  as  forming  one  system  of  religion, 
any  objection  which  will  overthrow  the  foundation  will 
destroy  the  superstructure  also. 

Edward.  These  points,  then,  we  have  to  consider;  viz. 
the  inspiration  of  the  New  Testament,  the  doctrines  and 
precepts  of  the  religion,  and  its  connexion  with  a  previous 
dispensation  in  the  Old  Testament. 

Mr.  B.  And  this  we  shall  do  in  a  reverse  order  to  that 
mentioned;  that  first  we  may  understand  the  true  nature 
of  this  religion,  as  to  its  general  place  in  the  dispensa¬ 
tions  of  God  towards  mankind;  then  that  the  extent  of 
its  influence  upon  the  mind  may  properly  be  manifest; 
and,  lastly,  that  we  may  be  fully  aware  how  far  the  Holy 
Scriptures  afford  us  an  unerring  rule,  by  which  to  regu¬ 
late  our  opinions  and  our  conduct. 

Edward.  In  the  course  of  this,  also,  we  must  consider 
how  far  objections  lie  against  Christianity,  as  arising  from 
historical  difficulties,  philosophical  truth,  or  as  connected 
with  morals.  In  all  this  it  will  be  necessary  to  be  careful 
that  we  do  not  assign  more  to  the  Holy  Scriptures  than 
what  properly  belongs  to  them,  lest  we  make  them  fail 
through  weak  additions  attached  to  them;  and,  at  the 
same  time,  that  we  do  not  attribute  more  to  our  knowl¬ 
edge,  derived  from  other  sources,  than  it  really  is  enti¬ 
tled  to. 

Mr.  B.  We  must,  however,  at  the  same  time,  not  fear 
to  expose  Christianity,  as  thus  revealed,  to  the  strictest 
scrutiny;  for  the  simple  and  entire  truth  is  our  great  ob- 


67  What  question  does  Maria  here  ask! — 68  How  does  Mr.  B.  answer 
it! — 69  What  paints  does  Edward  say  we  have  to  consider! — 70  In  what 
order  does  Mr.  B.  propose  to  consider  them! — 71  How  does  Edward  say 
we  must  proceed  in  doing  this! — 72  With  what  remarks  does  Mr.  B.  con¬ 
clude  the  conversation! 


188 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


ject;  and  if,  through  partiality  for  either  side,  we  evade 
the  real  question,  we  both  expose  ourselves  to  deception, 
and,  even  if  by  chance  we  are  right  in  our  determination, 
we  lose  all  just  grounds  of  confidence. 

CONVERSATION  XIII. 

Mr.  B.  Christianity  professes  not  only  to  be  a  divine 
revelation,  it  claims  also  to  be  founded  on  previous  reve¬ 
lations  made  from  the  earliest  time  to  the  ancestors  of 
the  Jews;  to  Moses,  their  great  lawgiver,  and  to  various 
prophets  in  succession,  till  about  400  years  before  the 
Christian  era. 

Edward.  If  these  claims  be  well  founded,  the  objection 
brought  by  sceptics,  as  being  partial  with  respect  to  time, 
is  made  void. 

Mr.  B.  We  thus  make  a  very  important  advance  to¬ 
wards  establishing  the  certainty  of  the  Christian  revela¬ 
tion  itself ;  for  the  books  to  which  appeal  is  made  have 
been  in  the  care  and  keeping  of  the  bitterest  enemies  of 
Christianity;  so  that  if  they  bear  witness  to  it,  we  not 
only  enlarge  the  foundation  on  which  Christianity  is 
placed,  but  also  bind  the  whole  together,  each  part 
strengthening  the  other. 

Edward.  But  have  not  doubts  been  entertained  with 
regard  to  the  Old  Testament,  by  those  who  have  been 
fully  persuaded  of  the  divine  origin  of  Christianity  ? 

Mr,  B.  So  it  would  appear,  if  we  may  give  credit  to 
the  statements  of  some  writers;  but  how  it  is  possible  to 
sever  the  two  appears  to  me  inconceivable.  Addressing 
the  Jews,  our  Lord  says,  “  Search  the  Scriptures,  for  in 
them  ye  think  ye  have  eternal  life ;  and  they  are  they 
which  testify  of  me,” — John  v.  39. 


1  What  does  Christianity  profess  to  bet— 2  If  these  claims  are  well 
founded,  what  does  Edward  say  will  be  the  consequence  1 — S  How  does 
Mr.  B.  say  that  v/o  make  a  very  important  advance  towards  establishing- 
the  certainty  of  the  Christian  revelation'* — 4  What  question  does  Edward 
ask  respecting  tho  Old  Testamout! — 5  How  does  Mr.  £.  reply  to  it*. 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


189 

In  an  interview  with  two  of  his  disciples  after  his  res¬ 
urrection,  we  are  told,  “  Beginning  at  Moses  and  all  the 
prophets,  he  expounded  to  them  in  all  the  Scriptures  the 
things  concerning  himself.” — Luke  xxiv.  27. 

And  shortly  after,  when  in  the  presence  of  the  apos¬ 
tles,  “  He  said  unto  them,  These  are  the  words  which  I 
spake  unto  you  while  I  was  yet  with  you,  that  all  things 
must  be  fulfilled  which  were  written  in  the  law  of  Moses, 
and  in  the  prophets,  and  in  the  Psalms,  concerning  me. 
Then  opened  he  their  understanding,  that  they  might 
understand  the  Scriptures,  and  said  unto  them,  Thus  it 
is  written,  and  thus  it  behoved  Christ  to  suffer,  and  to 
rise  from  the  dead  the  third  day,”  &c. — Luke  xxiv.  44. 

Maria.  This  is  decisive  as  to  the  alleged  connexion 
between  the  Old  and  New  Testaments. 

Mr.  B.  And  of  the  great  importance  of  this  connexion 
we  are  fully  assured  by  the  references  of  our  Lord  to  it, 
and  by  the  conduct  of  the  apostles.  The  New  Testament 
is  full  of  this  subject;  and  from  the  earliest  times  it  was 
the  custom,  as  in  the  case  of  Apollos,  to  prove  from  the 
Scriptures  that  Jesus  was  the  Christ. 

Maria.  But  what  Scriptures  were  these  which  were 
thus  read?  How  shall  we  be  assured  that  we  have  the 
same  ? 

Mr.  B.  This  demands  an  inquiry  of  a  similar  nature  to 
that  formerly  requisite  for  the  New  Testament.  We  must 
first  inquire  as  to  what  are  the  canonical  books,  and,  sec¬ 
ondly,  as  to  their  integrity.  With  regard  to  the  former, 
our  labour  is  greatly  shortened  by  now  having  the  su¬ 
preme  authority  of  our  Lord  to  appeal  to.  What  he  ac¬ 
knowledged  as  of  divine  authority,  must  be  so;  and  the 
only  difficulty  is  to  ascertain  how  far  his  approval  ex¬ 
tended. 

Edward.  But  the  books  of  the  Old  Testament  may  also 
be  established  independently  of  the  New  Testament,  as 
to  their  genuineness,  integrity,  and  credibility. 

Mr.  B.  They  may;  and  it  is  on  such  grounds  that  they 

6  What  passages  are  quoted  to  show  the  connection  between  the  Old 
Testament  and  the  Newt — 7  How  are  we  assured  of  the  importance  of 
this  connexion"! — 8  What  questions  does  Maria  ask  respecting  the  iden¬ 
tity  of  the  Old  Testament  scriptures'! — 9  How  does  Mr.  B.  answer  them! 


190 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


are  held  by  the  Jews.  Many  defences  of  Christianity 
begin  with  proving  the  authority  of  the  Old  Testament, 
and  afterwards,  by  comparing  the  New  Testament  with 
it,  establish  the  truth  of  the  latter;  but  in  arguing  in  fa¬ 
vour  of  Christianity,  as  a  divine  revelation,  against  those 
who  acknowledge  no  divine  revelation,  we  must  of  course 
take  that  method  which  is  most  strictly  demonstrative, — 
and  such  appears  to  me  that  adopted  by  Bishop  Marsh, 
in  his  Lectures, — of  first  proving  the  Divine  authority  of 
the  New  Testament,  which  is  certainly  of  easier  proof, 
and  thence  inferring  the  authority  of  the  Old  Testament, 
as  coiinected  with  it. 

Edward.  This  method  does  not,  however,  at  all  impugn 
the  proof  independent  of  Christianity. 

Mr.  B.  By  no  means;  if  by  that  is  meant  only  such  a 
proof  as  establishes  the  religion  of  Moses  up  to  the  com¬ 
ing  of  our  Lord:  beyond  that,  the  evidence  for  the  Old 
Testament  would  not  only  fail,  but  positive  proof  would 
lie  against  it,  if  Christianity  be  not  admitted  as  its  com¬ 
pletion. 

Maria.  So  that  in  either  case  we  come  to  the  same  con¬ 
clusions.  The  New  Testament  is  requisite  for  the  fulfil¬ 
ment  of  the  Old,  and  the  latter  is  an  equally  necessary 
preliminary  to  the  former.  If  either  can  be  proved  false, 
as  in.volved  with  each  other,  both  will  fall  to  the  ground: 
if  neither  can  be  proved  false,  the  proof  in  favour  of  each 
becomes  doubly  strong. 

Edward.  Much  more  than  doubly  strong ;  for  the  whole 
probability  does  not  proceed  by  addition  of  the  chances 
in  each  case,  but  by  the  multiplication  of  them,  provided 
that  the  proofs  of  the  divine  origin  of  each  (as  unconnect¬ 
ed  with  each  other)  are  independent  of  each  other. 

Mr.  B.  The  first  thing  to  be  ascertained  is,  what  books 
were  held  by  our  Lord  as  of  divine  authority  ? 

Maria.  In  two  of  the  passages  you  before  quoted,  he 

10  Mav  the  books  of  the  Old  Testament  be  established,  independent  of 
the  New  Testament? — 11  In  arguing  in  favour  of  Christianity,  as  a  divine 
revelation,  against  those  who  acknowledge  no  divine  revelation— what 
method  must  we  take? — 12  What  author  has  adopted  this  method? — 13 
Does  this  method  impugn  the  proof,  independent  of  Christianity? — 14  IIovv 
does  Maria  suppose  that  the  Old  and  New  Testament  stand  related  to 
each  other,  as  to  their  truth? — 15  What  is  the  first  thing  to  be  ascertained? 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY, 


191 


only  speaks  of  the  Scriptures  generally;  and  in  the  third, 
of  the  Law,  the  Prophets,  and  the  psalms. 

Mr.  B.  It  is  then  necessary  to  determine  what  was 
meant  by  these  expressions  in  our  Lord’s  time.  But 
these  expressions  are  precisely  those  made  use  of  to  de¬ 
note  the  Hfebrew  Bible  as  now  received.  To  the  five 
first  books  they  have  long  given  the  title  of  the  Law,  or 
the  Law  of  Moses ;  to  the  historical  and  prophetical  books, 
they  gave  the  name  of  the  Prophets,  as  having  been  writ¬ 
ten  by  them;  and  to  the  remaining  books,  viz.  the  writ¬ 
ings  of  David  and  Solomon,  the  book  of  Job,  the  book  of 
Lamentations,  and  the  books  of  Ruth,  Chronicles,  Esther, 
Daniel,  Nehemiah,  and  Ezra,  they  gave  the  title  of  Che- 
tubim,  which  appears  to  correspond  to  the  Psalms  of  the 
New  Testament. 

Edward.  How  long  is  this  division  known  to  have 
existed  among  the  Jews? 

Mr.  B.  Certainly  for  the  last  1400  years,  and  probably 
long  before  the  coming  of  our  Lord,  as  in  the  prologue  to 
the  Wisdom  of  Jesus,  the  son  of  Sirach,  we  have  this  three¬ 
fold  division  twice  mentioned ;  first  as  the  Law,  the  Proph¬ 
ets,  and  other  books  of  our  fathers;  and,  secondly,  as  the 
Law,  the  Prophets,  and  the  rest  of  the  books. 

Maria.  It  seems  reasonable,  then,  to  conclude  that  the 
last-named  books  had  not  originally  a  fixed  title,  and 
therefore  might  be  included  by  our  Lord  under  the  gen¬ 
eral  expression  of  the  Psalms. 

Mr.  B.  But  we  have  yet  further  evidence;  for  Philo 
and  Josephus,  who  lived  near  the  time  of  our  Lord,  like¬ 
wise  divide  the  Hebrew  Scriptures  in  the  same  manner, 
giving  to  the  two  first  classes  the  determinate  titles  of  the 
Law  and  the  Prophets,  but  only  describing  the  rest — 
Philo  as  containing  Hymns,  ( i .  e.  Psalms)  and  other 
books  by  which  knowledge  and  piety  are  promoted  and 
described;  Josephus  as  containing  Hymns  (or  Psalms) 
to  God,  and  instructions  of  life  for  man. 


16  What  objection  is  made,  by  Maria,  to  the  application  of  the  pass¬ 
ages  quoted  from  our  Lord,  to  the  argument! — 17  What  is  the  reply  to 
this  objection  by  Mr.  B.! — 18  How  long  is  this  division  known  to  have 
existed  among  the  Jews! — 19  To  Maria,  what  appears  reasonable  in  rela¬ 
tion  to  tibia  subject! — 20  What  further  evidence  have  we  in  relation  to  it! 


192 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


Edward.  So  that,  in  fact,  all  the  divisions  seem  to  agree 
as  to  substance:  do  they  agree  in  detail? 

Mr.  B.  According  to  Josephus,  there  were  five  books 
in  the  first  class,  thirteen  in  the  second,  and  four  in  the 
third;  in  all  twenty -two.  In  the  time  of  Jerome,  the 
whole  number  of  books  also  amounted  to  twenty-two; 
but  in  our  Bible  there  are  thirty-nine. 

Maria.  Does  not  this  overthrow  the  argument? 

Mr.  B.  No;  for  it  merely  arises  from  different  classi¬ 
fications,  as  we  are  informed  by  Jerome:  for  in  his  time 
the  book  of  Ruth  was  appended  to  that  of  Judges,  and 
that  of  Lamentations  to  Jeremiah;  the  two  books  of  Sam¬ 
uel  were  united  in  one ;  similarly,  the  two  books  of  Chron¬ 
icles  in  one,  the  books  of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah  in  one; 
and  the  twelve  minor  prophets  also  united  into  one;  so 
that  the  thirty-nine  books  of  our  time  constituted,  in  fact, 
the  twenty-two  of  Jerome  and  Josephus. 

Edward.  Are  there  any  other  catalogues,  besides  that 
of  Jerome? 

Mr.  B.  In  the  third  century  we  have  one  by  Origen, 
and  in  the  second,  one  by  Melito;  we  have  also  one  in 
the  Talmud. 

Maria.  But  are  the  books  of  our  Lord’s  time  clearly 
identified  with  those  of  ours? 

Mr.  B.  Josephus  determines  the  books  of  the  law  and 
the  Psalms,  and  has  quoted  all  the  books  except  those  of 
Job,  Proverbs,  Ecclesiastes,  and  Solomon’s  Song. 

Philo  has  quoted  all  except  those  of  Ruth,  Chronicles, 
Nehemiah,  Daniel,  Lamentations,  Esther,  Ecclesiastes, 
and  Canticles. 

In  the  New  Testament,  all  are  quoted  except  Judges, 
Ezra,  Nehemiah,  Esther,  Ecclesiastes,  and  Canticles. 

Edward.  But  the  non-existence  of  quotations  does  not 
establish  the  non-existence  or  want  of  authority  in  the 
books;  for  it  is  very  probable,  from  their  subjects,  that  no 


21  According  to  Josephus,  how  many  books  were  there  in  the  different 
classes'! — 22  Why  does  not  this  overthrow  the  argument'! — 23  Are  there 
any  other  catalogues  besides  that  of  Jerome'? — 24  What  books  of  the  Old 
Testament,  are  established  by  Josephus? — 25  What  ones  are  quoted  by 
Philo? — 26  What  ones  are  quoted  in  the  New  Testament? 


evidences  of  christiaxitf.  193 

quotations  could  be  required  from  the  nature  of  the  works 
in  which  the  rest  were  quoted. 

Mr.  B.  That  our  Lord  had  the  same  division  of  the 
Scriptures  in  view  which  Josephus  had,  cannot  be  doubt¬ 
ed;  that  the  books  which  Josephus  had  were  the  same  a3 
those  of  Jerome,  is  proved  in  a  very  satisfactory  manner 
by  Bishop  Marsh;  and  that  our  books  are  the  same  as 
those  of  Jerome  is  certain.  We  may  therefore  conclude, 
that  the  books  referred  to  by  our  Lord  as  having  author¬ 
ity,  were  neither  more  nor  less  than  those  which  we  now 
receive  as  canonical.  This  being  also  generally  acknowl¬ 
edged,  further  proof  seems  unnecessary. 

Edward.  But  if  the  books  are  the  same,  how  can  we 
determine  the  integrity  of  these  books? 

Mr.  B.  The  peculiar  circumstances  under  which  the 
Old  Testament  has  been  transmitted,  is  sufficient  securi¬ 
ty  on  this  point.  By  the  very  nature  of  the  books  of 
Moses,  as  being  the  law  of  the  land,  as  well  as  by  the 
express  commandment  given  at  the  time  of  their  promul¬ 
gation,  the  uncorrupted  preservation  of  the  first  of  the 
three  great  divisions  of  the  Old  Testament  was  secured. 
“And  Moses  commanded  them,  saying,  At  the  end  of 
every  seven  years,  in  the  solemnity  of  the  year  of  re¬ 
lease,  in  the  feast  of  tabernacles,  when  all  Israel  is  come 
to  appear  before  the  Lord  thy  God  in  the  place  which  he 
shall  choose,  thou  shalt  read  this  law  before  all  Israel,  in 
their  hearing.” — Deut.  xxxi.  10,  11. 

Maria.  And  was  this  command  observed? 

Mr.  B.  We  have  every  reason  to  believe  it  was:  in  va¬ 
rious  parts  of  the  sacred  writings  we  find  mention  made 
of  the  law  as  being  the  supreme  authority;  and  from  the 
time  of  Joshua  to  Nehemiah  we  find  it  appealed  to  in  this 
manner. 

Edward.  But  was  not  the  law  altogether  lost  for  a 
time  ? 

Mr.  B.  The  particular  copy  of  the  law  deposited  in 


27  What  division  of  these  books  is  it  supposed  our  Lord  had  in  view'? 
— 28  How  is  it  shown  that  we  have  the  same  division? — 29  But  if  the 
books  are  the  same,  how  can  we  determine  the  integrity  of  these  books? 
— 30  What  commandment  was  given  Israel  by  Moses  respecting  the  law? 
— 31  Was  this  law  observed? 

17 


194 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


the  Temple  was  found  by  Hilkiah,  in  the  reign  of  Josiah, 
and  therefere  must  have  been  secreted  or  lost  during  the 
idolatrous  reigns  of  Manasseh  and  Amon;  but  at  no  oth¬ 
er  period  are  we  aware  of  even  this  single  copy  having 
been  missing;  and  its  loss  could  not  have  affected  the 
other  copies  which  must  have  existed  elsewhere,  from  the 
fact  of  its  being  the  law  of  the  land. 

Edward.  Has  it  not  been  asserted,  however,  that  it 
was  wholly  lost  at  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem? 

Mr.  B.  It  has,  by  those  whose  wishes  outstripped  their 
knowledge;  for  there  is  not  the  least  pretext  for  the  as¬ 
sertion  beyond  a  passage  in  a  notorious  forgery,  of  which 
even  the  original  text  is  now  lost.  But  such  assailants 
are  in  general  willing  to  admit  any  thing  as  genuine,  in 
order  to  prove  the  Scriptures  not  genuine,  or  any  thing 
credible,  to  show  these  books  are  not  credible.  From 
the  writings  of  Ezra  and  Nehemiah,  we  however  are  as¬ 
sured  that  the  law  was  not  lost,  and  we  also  know  that 
before  then  Daniel  had  it  in  Babylon. 

Maria.  And  have  the  other  Scriptures  been  preserved 
in  like  manner? 

Mr.  B.  We  have  reason  to  believe  so,  since  we  find 
the  books  of  Joshua  and  Samuel  placed  with  the  law; 
and  it  seems  natural  to  conclude,  that  the  rest  would  be 
added  in  order. 

Maria.  But  by  whom  were  all  collected  and  arranged 
as  we  have  them  now? 

Mr.  B.  That  was  the  work  of  Ezra,  emphatically  call¬ 
ed  “the  scribe,”  and  the  president  of  a  celebrated  assem¬ 
bly,  called  “the  Great  Synagogue,”  when  the  canon  of 
the  Old  Testament  was  for  ever  fixed  in  the  state  in  which 
we  now  have  it. 

Edward.  But  some  have  supposed  that  he  wrote  it  all 
in  fact,  and  that  the  accounts  given  to  us  were  drawn  up 
merely  to  give  authority  to  his  work. 


82  But  was  not  the  law  altogether  lost  for  a  time? — 33  Has  it  not  been 
asserted  that  the  law  was  wholly  lost  at  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem'* — 34 
Of  what  are  we  assured  in  relation  to  it  by  Ezra  and  Nehemiah? — 35 
Have  the  other  scriptures  been  preserved  in  like  manner? — 36  By  whom 
-were  they  all  collected  and  arranged  as  we  now  have  them?— 37  What 
.does  Edward  say  some  have  supposed  concerning  Ezra? 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  195 

Mr.  B.  This  is  another  of  those  incredible  hypotheses 
which  are  never  wanting  when  the  object  is  to  invalidate 
the  sacred  volume.  Neither  Ezra  nor  any  other  man 
(unless  by  inspiration,  which  no  Deist  can  suppose,) 
could  write  the  various  books  in  question,  even  if  when 
written  it  had  been  possible  to  persuade  the  people  of 
their  genuineness.  There  is  internal  as  well  as  external 
evidence  for  these  books,  which  cannot  be  set  aside  by 
hypothesis.  Exclusively  of  our  Lord’s  attestation  to  the 
authority  of  the  Old  Testament,  its  genuineness  and 
credibility  may  from  itself  be  shown  to  be  such  as  no  la¬ 
bour  now  can  overthrow,  and  still  less  the  cavils  of  men 
ignorant  of  the  language  of  the  books  they  condemn. 
The  positive  external  evidence  in  behalf  of  the  Old  Tes¬ 
tament  is  in  a  great  measure  placed  beyond  our  reach, 
for  we  have  no  contemporary  authors  to  bear  testimony 
to  it;  but  that  must  not  be  imputed  as  a  defect  to  these 
writings,  which  is  only  the  defect  of  the  age  in  which 
they  were  produced.  Every  other  species  of  evidence 
however  we  have,  in  a  stronger  degree  than  can  be 
brought  forward  for  writings,  the  authenticity  of  which 
no  one  would  dispute.  In  the  Old  Testament  we  per¬ 
ceive  a  gradation  in  the  language,  such  as  may  be  natu¬ 
rally  accounted  for,  on  the  supposition  of  these  books  be¬ 
ing  produced  in  a  long  course  of  ages,  but  on  no  other; 
we  perceive  a  difference  in  the  style  of  the  various  au¬ 
thors,  such  as  it  is  wholly  incredible  that  any  forger  could 
produce.  It  is  a  very  easy  thing  to  make  the  supposition 
of  forgery;  but  it  would  be  found  no  easy  task  to  imitate 
the  writings  of  any  one,  either  Moses,  David,  Solomon, 
Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  or  Ezekiel;  and  as  to  Ezra  producing 
all  these,  and  many  more,  it  is  mere  mockery  to  enter¬ 
tain  the  idea  for  a  moment. 

Edward.  But  we  may  not  assume  the  integrity  of  the 
Old  Testament  to  prove  its  genuineness. 

Mr.  B.  We  may  not,  and  all  that  has  hitherto  been 


38  Could  he,  or  any  one  else,  have  written  these  various  books'? — 39 
What  is  said  of  the  want  of  positive  external  evidence  in  favour  of  the 
Old  Testament'? — 40  What  is  said  of  the  gradation  of  language  in  those 
books? — 41  What  is  said  of  the  supposition  that  certain  of  these  books 
are  forgeries? 


196 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


said  need  only  be  regarded  as  illustrative  of  the  care  ' 
which  the  Jews  took  of  their  sacred  writings.  We  know 
from  external  evidence  the  existence  of  these  writings  up 
to  the  time  of  Ezra.  From  the  writers  of  the  New  Tes¬ 
tament,  Josephus,  and  indeed  every  Jewish  author,  we 
know  the  scrupulous  regard  they  have  ever  paid  to  the 
uncorrupted  preservation  of  these  books:  the  books  them¬ 
selves,  as  now  existing,  are  a  sufficient  proof  of  their  hon¬ 
esty;  for  they  contain  passages  which  are  destructive  of 
Judaism  itself  in  its  present  state,  and  from  which  the 
people  whom  they  most  have  hated,  draw  their  strongest 
arguments.  We  are  secured  by  numerous  manuscripts, 
by  quotations,  by  versions,  by  commentaries,  and  by  the 
disputes  of  contending  parties,  from  imposition  up  to  the 
time  of  our  Lord ;  and  even  beyond  his  time,  by  the  Greek 
version,  known  by  the  name  of  the  Septuagint. 

Maria.  But  our  Lord’s  authority  alone  will  be  suffici¬ 
ent  to  the  Christian.  He  accused  the  Jews  of  many 
things,  but  not  of  having  corrupted  the  word  of  God. 

Mr.  B.  And  even  to  others,  also,  the  testimony  of  our 
Lord  and  his  apostles  to  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  Tes¬ 
tament  are  important,  as  being  that  of  those  who  were 
especially  opposed  to  the  prevailing  follies  and  vices  of 
that  nation.  If  the  miracles  of  our  Lord  had  not  been 
real^  his  testimony  would  still  have  been  important, 
though  not  conclusive,  on  the  subject;  and  all  the  diffi¬ 
culties  connected  with  the  rejection  of  the  Old  Testament 
press  alike  upon  the  Christian  and  the  Deist.  The  Christ¬ 
ian  is  bound  by  the  fact  of  the  integrity  of  the  Old  Tes¬ 
tament,  to  defend  it  as  far  as  it  was  connected  with  his 
religion  by  the  founder  of  that  religion.  The  infidel  is 
bound  by  the  same  fact  to  account  for  the  difficulties  into 
which  it  brings  him.  The  first  is  bound  to  believe  these 
records  genuine  and  authentic,  on  the  authority  of  his 
Lord  and  Master:  the  second  is  bound  to  disprove  the 


42  What  do  we  know  of  these  writings,  from  different  early  authors'? — 
43  How  are  we  secured  against  any  deception  in  regard  to  their  genuine¬ 
ness1? — 44  What  does  Maria  say  of  our  Lord’s  authority  upon  the  subject'? 
— 45  What  does  Mr.  B.  say  of  his  authority1? — 46  How  is  the  Christian 
bound  to  defend  it! — 47  What  is  the  infidel  bound  to  do? — 48  And  what 
is  it  then  said  each  one  is  bound  to  do? 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY. 


197 

evidence  of  their  being  genuine  and  authentic,  both  as 
attested  by  the  divine  mission  of  Christ,  and  by  the  evi¬ 
dence  which  is  more  exclusively  their  own,  and  which 
equally  existed  before  the  appearance  of  Christ.  To 
those  who  deem  the  evidence  already  adduced  in  behalf 
of  the  miracles  of  our  Lord  conclusive,  no  further  proof 
is  indeed  requisite;  but  as  some  may  not,  I  will  now 
show  you  how  the  argument  may  be  conducted  inde¬ 
pendently  of  this;  and  thereby  through  the  means  of 
these  writings  additional  evidence  be  brought  to  prove 
the  miracles  of  our  Lord  real. 

Edivard.  The  Christian  is  not,  however,  bound  to  do 
this,  since  thq  evidence  in  favour  of  the  miracles  of  our 
Lord  ought  to  be  sufficient. 

Mr.  B.  He  is  not,  nor  do  I  consider,  even  in  the  course 
now  to  be  pursued,  myself  bound  to  prove  every  thing 
which  a  Jew  might  justly  urge  in  behalf  of  the  Old  Tes¬ 
tament.  All  that  it  appears  to  me  necessary  to  show  is, 
that  the  books  which  involve  most  closely  the  truth  of  the 
Mosaic  revelation,  and  that  of  our  Lord,  are  certainly 
genuine,  and  that  the  rest  cannot  be  proved  spurious,  and 
that  both  are  credible.  But  if  in  any  respects  length  of 
time  may  have  weakened  the  proof,  you  must  still  bear 
in  mind  that  the  proof  is  rather  t-hat  which  might  have 
been  required  to  be  produced  previously  to  the  coming 
of  Christ,  when  its  weight  must  have  been  greater. 

Maria.  But  is  it  not  necessary  to  this,  that  we  be  as¬ 
sured  that  we  have  the  sacred  text  as  near  as  possible  to 
that  published  by  Ezra? 

Mr.  B.  It  is,  and  for  that  purpose  the  most  careful  in¬ 
vestigations  have  been  made  at  great  expense,  and  the 
most  laborious  examination  of  manuscripts  has  taken 
place. 

Edivard.  The  Jews,  also,  have  taken  great  pains,  I 
believe,  to  ascertain  the  true  text. 

Mr.  B.  They  have  long  ago,  and  their  superstitious 

49  For  whose  benefit  does  Mr.  B.  propose  to  adduce  other  evidence  on 
the  subject1? — 50  With  this  view,  what  does  he  propose  to  do? — 51  If  the 

Croof  to  be  offered  is  apparently  weakened  by  length  of  time,  what  is  to 
e  considered? — 52  What  does  Mr.  B.  say  of  the  assurance  we  possess, 
that  the  sacred  text,,  now  in  existence,  is  the  same  as  that  published  by 
Ezra? 


17* 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


1$S 

reverence  of  it  has  been  of  the  greatest  use  in  this  re¬ 
spect.  They  have  numbered  the  sentences,  words,  and 
letters,  in  such  a  variety  of  ways,  and  have  so  noted 
down  every  minute  circumstance  connected  with  it,  that 
we  are  certain,  that  no  very  material  omission  or  addition 
has  been  made.  In  the  very  copying  of  it  they  are  also 
so  scrupulous,  that  we  are  enabled  to  rely  on  them  to  a 
great  degree.  The  Septuagint,  from  its  having  been 
made  not  long  after  the  time  of  Ezra,  is  also  of  great 
importance,  and  has  in  like  manner  been  critically  re¬ 
vised.  In  short,  no  means  of  ascertaining  the  truth  have 
been  left  untried,  and  from  the  labours  of  Kennicott  in 
England,  and  De  Rossi  in  Italy,  we  are  enabled  to  rely 
upon  a  Hebrew  text  sufficiently  accurate  for  all  the  pur¬ 
poses  of  an  inquiry  into  its  genuineness  and  credibility; 
as  similarly  from  the  labours  of  the  Masorites,  we  ascer¬ 
tain  the  opinion  of  the  Jews  on  the  sacred  text,  and  from 
those  of  Holmes  we  can  argue  from  the  testimony  of  a 
critically  correct  copy  of  the  Septuagint. 

Edward.  We  then  argue  from  the  text  thus  ascertain¬ 
ed,  believing  it  to  be  sufficiently  near  that  of  Ezra  for 
the  purposes  of  inquiry;  and  to  that  we  are  limited,  hav¬ 
ing  no  external  testimony  to  it  beyond  that  period. 

Mr.  B.  These  books,  then,  profess  to  be  by  various 
authors,  the  names  of  some  being  well  known  in  the  East, 
whilst  with  others  we  are  only  acquainted  through  the 
medium  of  this  volume.  Now  that  Moses  and  Solomon, 
the  son  of  David,  lived  and  wrote  is  certain,  from  the 
concurrent  testimony  of  all  the  nations  near  Palestine; 
that  the  people  of  Israel  were  led  out  of  Egypt  by  the 
former,  and  that  the  latter  raised  that  nation  to  their 
greatest  height  of  prosperity,  cannot  be  disputed  on  any 
reasonable  grounds.  The  question  is,  are  the  writings 
ascribed  to  Moses  and  Solomon  theirs  or  not?  That  it 
is  highly  probable  they  are,  appears  from  the  following 
considerations: 


53  What  is  said  of  the  care  with  which  the  Jews  have  preserved  it1? — 
54  What  is  said  of  the  value  of  the  Septuagint1? — 55  What  authors  are 
named  as  having  rendered  valuable  services  in  this  investigation? — 56 
What  is  said  to  be  known  of  Moses  and  Solomon? — 57  What  is  here  the 
important  question  respecting  them? 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY.  199 

The  language,  style,  and  tenour  of  them,  are  such  as 
might  have  been  expected. 

The  most  minute  examination  cannot  prove  any  thing 
inconsistent  with  such  a  supposition. 

The  nature  of  these  writings  is  such  as  excludes,  in  a 
great  measure,  the  possibility  of  imposition. 

The  obedience  of  a  nation  to  them,  and  the  tacit  con¬ 
currence  of  neighbouring  nations  in  the  fact,  give  us  all 
the  external  proof  that  the  nature  of  the  case  will  admit. 

And  every  other  hypothesis  is  attended  with  insupera¬ 
ble  difficulties. 

Edivard.  The  testimony  of  the  learned,  with  regard  to 
the  language  and  style,  must  be  allowed,  since  no  con¬ 
trary  evidence  can  be  produced;  but  does  not  the  men¬ 
tion  of  the  death  of  Moses,  and  the  occurrence  in  the 
Pentateuch  of  names  not  used  in  his  time,  militate  against 
the  second  position? 

Mr.  B.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  last  chapter 
of  Deuteronomy  is  a  conclusion  which  the  subject  re¬ 
quired,  and  as  such  was  added  by  Joshua,  Samuel,  or 
Ezra.  If  language  was  used  in  general  such  as  could 
not  have  been  used  in  the  time  of  Moses,  it  would 
strongly  have  militated  against  the  genuineness  of  his 
writings;  but  the  mere  alteration  of  a  name,  which  had 
been  forgotten,  to  the  one  which  afterwards  became  com¬ 
mon,  and  manifestly  done  by  a  later  writer  to  make  the 
narrative  intelligible,  cannot  affect  the  authority  of  the 
work  at  large. 

Maria.  But  does  not  historical  fact  invalidate  these 
writings? 

Mr.  B.  If  the  writings  assigned  to  Solomon  be  admit¬ 
ted,  and  how  they  can  be  denied  I  cannot  see,  those 
ascribed  to  Moses  must  be  long  anterior  to  any  other 
history  extant;  and  both  on  this  account,  and  from  re¬ 
ference  to  the  country  in  which  it  was  produced,  far 
more  likely  to  be  true  than  any  other  record  which  has 


58  What  are  the  probable  reasons  for  the  affirmative  of  it'! — 59  What 
does  Edward  say  of  the  testimony  of  the  learned  respecting;  them! — 60  Of 
what  does  Mr.  B.  say  there  is  no  doubt! — 61  What  does  he  say  would; 
and  what  would  not  affect  the  authority  of  those  ancient  books'! — 62  Does 
the  historical  fact  invalidate  these  writings'! 


200 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


come  down  to  us.  If,  therefore,  there  were  a  difference 
of  statement  as  to  historical  fact,  this  record,  whether 
spurious  or  genuine,  as  the  more  ancient,  and  as  pro¬ 
duced  in  the  countries  where  the  truth  could  be  best  as¬ 
certained,  has  the  first  claims.  Greece  and  Italy  were 
then  in  a  state  of  barbarism,  and  probably  Asia  Minor 
also.  The  two  great  kingdoms  were  those  of  Assyria 
and  Egypt.  From  the  former,  undoubtedly,  came  Abra¬ 
ham,  the  father  of  the  Jewish  nation,  and  from  the  latter 
came  Moses.  Palestine  was  the  great  medium  of  com¬ 
munication  between  the  two,  and  in  the  state  in  which 
society  then  was,  from  all  the  accounts  transmitted  to 
us  of  Abraham,  Moses,  and  their  descendants,  from  no 
other  source  was  a  true  history  more  likely  to  proceed; 
and  to  compare  the  authority  of  writers  who  lived  from 
1000  to  1500  years  subsequently  to  the  period  in  ques¬ 
tion  against  a  document  produced  at  that  period,  a  docu¬ 
ment  also  which,  from  its  very  nature,  must  have  ad¬ 
hered  to  truth  in  common  facts,  appears  to  me  as  absurd 
a  method  of  procedure  as  any  well  can  be. 

Maria.  The  statements  of  the  Pentateuch  differ,  then, 
from  those  of  other  writers? 

Mr.  B.  In  some  things  they  do;  but  in  many  they 
agree.  Now  the  latter  certainly  confirms  the  authority 
of  the  Pentateuch,  whereas  the  former  can  never  invali¬ 
date  it;  for  if  no  question  of  religion  were  involved,  the 
statements  of  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  even  taking  their 
own  accounts  in  the  most  favourable  manner,  could  not 
admit  of  competition  with  those  of  an  author  living  at  a 
much  earlier  period,  and  in  the  very  countries,  the  his¬ 
tory  of  which  is  the  subject  of  dispute.  In  two  excel¬ 
lent  works  of  Dr.  Gray,  the  “ Key  to  the  Old  Testament ,” 
and  “  The  Connexion  of  Sacred  and  Profane  Literature,” 
you  will  find  nearly  all  that  you  can  desire  to  know, 
relating  to  the  elucidation  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  to 


63  What  is  said  of  Greece,  Italy,  Assyria,  and  Egypt,  at  the  time  of 
which  we  are  speaking'! — 64  Why  is  it  probable  that  a  history  of  those 
times,  might  have  come  from  such  a  source,  as  we  suppose? — 65  What  ap¬ 
pears  to  Mr.  B.  absured? — 66  Do  the  statements  of  the  Pentateuch  differ 
from  those  of  other  writers? — 67  What  two  works  of  Dr.  Gray  are  named, 
and  what  is  said  of  them?  o 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  201 

these  works  I  would  refer  you  in  general;  and  it  is  in¬ 
deed  necessary  that  you  should  read  these  or  some 
works  of  a  similar  kind,  that  you  may  know  the  facts  of 
the  case,  and  be  aware  how  grossly  the  Old  Testament 
is  commonly  misrepresented  by  the  opponents  of  Chris¬ 
tianity.  You  will  find,  I  think,  also,  that  no  historical 
fact,  asserted  in  this  volume,  has  been  disproved  from 
the  nature  of  the  case,  or  contradictory  statements  in 
different  parts;  and  when  you  consider  that  in  many 
most  important  points  the  Scripture  account  is  fully  con¬ 
firmed,  you  will  perceive  that  the  credibility  of  the  whole, 
as  to  historical  accuracy,  is  most  probable,  and  conse¬ 
quently  the  genuineness  of  the  records.  We  cannot, 
indeed,  in  general  argue  from  the  truth  of  the  contents 
of  a  book  to  its  genuineness,  nor,  on  the  other  hand, 
from  its  spuriousness  to  its  incredibility;  but  in  the  case 
of  most  of  these  books  the  evidence  for  the  genuineness 
is  evidence  for  the  credibility  also,  and  more  particularly 
in  the  case  of  the  Pentateuch,  there  appears  no  possi¬ 
ble  reason  why  we  should  run  counter  to  the  general 
belief  of  the  East  in  denying  either  the  facts  or  the 
author. 

Edward.  If  the  general  credibility  of  the  Pentateuch 
be  admitted,  it  would  seem  arguing  merely  for  the  sake 
of  objecting  to  deny  the  author  to  be  Moses.  But  does 
not  the  miraculous  part  of  the  narrative  lay  us  under  the 
necessity  of  rejecting  it? 

Mr.  B.  By  no  means;  for  whenever  the  narrative  was 
published,  the  same  insuperable  difficulties  would  attach 
to  its  reception  on  any  other  supposition  than  that  of  its 
genuineness  and  authority.  For  the  Pentateuch  itself 
supposes  observances  to  be  kept  up  in  remembrance  of 
these  miracles,  which  observances  must,  therefore,  have 
existed,  or  these  writings  could  not,  in  the  nature  of 
things,  have  become  the  law  of  the  people.  If  no  Pass- 
over  was  kept,  no  account,  of  course,  could  he  given  of 


68  What  does  Mr.  B.  say  of  the  historical  facts  asserted  in  this  volume! 
— 69  What  does  he  say  may  not  in  general  be  done;  and  what  peculiarity 
in  the  present  case  exists! — 70  What  observation  does  Edward  introduce 
in  relation  to  the  credibility  of  the  Pentateuch,  and  what  question  does  he 
add! — 71  How  does  Mr.  B.  reply  to  him! 


202 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


its  origin;  if  it  was  kept,  no  account,  involving  heavy 
duties,  could  be  admitted  by  a  whole  nation,  but  that 
which  they  knew  to  be  correct. 

Maria.  But  may  not  false  accounts,  the  publication 
of  which  is  removed  at  a  great  distance  of  time  from  the 
date  of  the  events  themselves,  prevail  ? 

Mr.  B.  Not  in  the  case  where  they  bind  to  a  severe 
law,  for  which  no  equivalent  is  given,  no  reason  assign¬ 
ed,  but  as  connected  with  the  truth  of  those  accounts. 
In  this  case  also  you  have  not  a  great  distance  of  time 
to  help  you;  for  the  writings  ascribed  to  Moses  could 
not  have  been  produced  long  after  the  time  in  which  he 
lived,  and  the  law  refers  to  the  miracles  as  having  taken 
place  before  the  eyes  of  his  contemporaries.  You  will 
find  Leslie’s  Rules,  as  applied  to  the  miracles  of  the 
Pentateuch,  of  great  effect.  If,  again,  any  interval  had 
elapsed  after  which  a  good  opportunity  might  be  afforded 
of  bringing  forward  the  Pentateuch,  and  ascribing  it  to 
Moses,  of  laying  hold  of  customs,  and  accounting  for 
their  observance  by  a  relation  of  miracles,  you  must 
suppose  the  author  of  such  an  attempt  would  only  incul¬ 
cate  what  he  was  certain  would  be  well  received.  Now 
I  venture  to  assert,  that  from  all  that  we  know  of  human 
nature,  from  all  that  we  know  of  history,  and  from  all 
that  we  can  collect  as  to  this  particular  people,  the  Pen¬ 
tateuch  never  could  have  been  so  forced  upon  the  peo¬ 
ple  as  a  law  of  absolute  authority;  to  say  nothing  of  the 
incredibility  of  inventing  such  a  law,  which  confined 
national  and  personal  ambition  within  such  narrow  limits. 

Edward.  If  the  Jewish  law  was  not  of  divine  origin, 
the  people  were  cruelly  deceived. 

Mr.  B.  It  is  incredible  that  they  would  have  permitted 
themselves  to  be  cruelly  deceived.  In  what  other  in¬ 
stance  was  ever  such  severe  legislation  effected?  What 
other  instance  can  be  produced  of  a  people  thus  imposed 
upon  ? 

72  What  question  does  Maria  ask  respecting  false  accounts'! — 73  What 
answer  does  Mr.  B.  give  her! — 74  If  any  attempt  had  been  made  subse¬ 
quent  to  the  time  of  Moses,  to  produce  such  a  work,  and  to  ascribe  it  to 
him,  at  what  would  the  author  probably  have  aimed! — 75  What  does  Mr. 
B.  venture  to  assert  on  the  subject! — 76  What  is  remarked  of  the  Jew3, 
on  the  supposition  that  the  Jewish  law  was  not  of  divine  origin! 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY.  203 

Marta.  But  the  Jews  are  a  very  peculiar  people. 

Mr.  B.  So  they  have  become;  but  we  do  not  observe 
in  the  history  of  the  Jews,  more  than  any  other  race,  a 
disposition  to  confine  themselves  within  a  narrow  tract 
of  land;  to  deny  themselves;  to  submit  to  a  severe 
round  of  duty;  to  live  by  faith  rather  than  by  sight. 
Some  motive  or  other  must  have  given  rise  to  so  extra¬ 
ordinary  an  attempt  as  the  legislation  of  the  Pentateuch; 
but  what  motive  could  produce  it,  in  case  a  divine  origin 
be  not  admitted,  is  not  easy  to  conjecture.  If  this  legis¬ 
lation  were  human,  unquestionably  its  author  was  a  man 
of  the  very  highest  intellect;  but  how  such  a  man  could 
trust  to  a  perpetual  miracle,  is  what  no  ingenuity  can 
solve.  He  puts  the  nation  under  a  peculiar  providence, 
and  binds  it  to  the  observance  of  these  laws,  under  the 
penalty  of  ruin  if  they  forsake  them. 

Edward.  Then  you  regard  the  Jews  as,  in  some  meas¬ 
ure,  supported  by  a  continued  miracle;  or  that  there 
must  have  been  a  continuance  of  particular  providential 
agency  to  have  supported  their  peculiar  establishment  ? 

Mr.  B.  Such  there  undoubtedly  was,  according  to  the 
sacred  records;  and  such  there  must  have  been,  to  ena¬ 
ble  them  to  observe  the  law  originally  given. 

Edivard.  This  is  assuming  a  great  deal. 

Mr.  B.  Not  more  than  what  a  strict  adherence  to 
truth  requires,  and  not  more  than  the  subject  will  bear: 
it  cannot  be  disproved. 

Edward.  Neither  can  it  be  proved;  and  belief  in  a 
continual  interposition  of  Divine  Providence  is  more 
than  ought  to  be  required  without  proof. 

Mr.  B.  I  am  willing  to  own  that  the  whole,  as  a  de¬ 
viation  from  the  usual  course  of  things,  requires  more 
proof  than  it  would  had  it  been  accordant  therewith.  I 
am  willing  also  to  grant  that  the  period  is  too  remote  for 
me  to  bring  positive  proof ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  the 
fact  of  any  one  miracle  being  established,  no  reason  can 

77  What  does  Mr.  B.  say  of  the  Jews,  in  reply  to  the  remark  of  Maria, 
that  they  are  a  very  peculiar  people1? — 78  If  this  legislation  were  human, 
what  is  presumed  of  the  author!--79  How  were  the  Jews  supported1? — 
80  What  reply  does  Mr.  B.  make  to  Edward,  that  the  idea  of  their  being 
supported  by  miracle  is  a  great  presumption? — 81  What  is  he  willing  to 
admit,  as  to  the  peculiarity  of  this  case? 


204 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


be  assigned  why  fifty  others,  connected  with  it,  may  not 
also  be  true,  provided  the  general  object  of  their  per¬ 
formance  be  the  same.  If  the  children  of  Israel  were 
miraculously  brought  out  of  Egypt  for  a  particular  pur¬ 
pose,  no  reason  can  be  given  against  the  alleged  fact  of 
their  having  been  miraculously  preserved  in  Canaan  for 
the  same  purpose.  We  cannot  determine  either  one 
way  or  the  other,  as  in  a  matter  of  demonstration  ;  but 
the  assumption  made  by  the  author  of  the  Pentateuch 
is,  to  me,  a  strong  argument  for  its  genuineness  and 
credibility. 

Maria.  But  is  the  assumption  so  decided? 

Mr.  B.  The  following  passages  will  determine : — c  c  And 
the  Lord  spake  unto  Moses  in  Mount  Sinai,  saying,  Speak 
unto  the  children  of  Israel,  and  say  unto  them,  AVhen  ye 
come  into  the  land  which  I  give  you,  then  shall  the  land 
keep  a  sabbath  unto  the  Lord.  Six  years  thou  shalt  sow 
thy  field,  and  six  years  thou  shalt  prune  thy  vineyard, 
and  gather  in  the  fruit  thereof ;  but  in  the  seventh  year 
shall  be  a  sabbath  of  rest  unto  the  land,  a  sabbath  for  the 
Lord:  thou  shalt  neither  sow  thy  field  nor  prune  thy  vine¬ 
yard.  That  which  groweth  of  its  own  accord  of  thy  har¬ 
vest  thou  shalt  not  reap,  neither  gather  the  grapes  of  thy 
vine  undressed:  for  it  is  a  year  of  rest  unto  the  land.” — 
Lev.  xxv.  1 — 5. 

A  similar  command  is  then  given  relative  to  the  ob¬ 
servance  of  the  jubilee  of  the  fiftieth  year,  and  the  divine 
authority  of  the  command  is  put  upon  the  following  inter¬ 
position  of  Providence: — “And  if  ye  shall  say,  What 
shall  we  eat  the  seventh  year?  behold,  we  shall  not  sow, 
nor  gather  in  our  increase :  Then  I ivill  command  my  bless¬ 
ing  upon  you  in  the  sixth  year,  and  it  shall  bring  forth  fruit 
for  three  years.  And  ye  shall  sow  the  eighth  year,  and 
eat  yet  of  old  fruit  until  the  ninth  year;  until  her  fruits 
come  in  ye  shall  eat  of  the  old  store.” — Lev.  xxv.  20 — 22. 

Edward.  But  a  daring  profession  of  this  kind  is  not 


82  How  is  this  to  be  illustrated  by  reference  to  the  children  of  Israel1? 

83  What  passages  of  scripture  are  quoted  in  reply  to  the  question  of  Ma¬ 
ria,  respecting  the  assumption  made  by  the  author  of  the  Pentateuch? — 

84  What  similar  command  was  given? — 85  In  what  manner  and  for  what 
purpose  does  Edward  allude  to  Mahomet? 


'•  EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  206 

inconsistent  with  the  idea  of  imposture ;  for  Mahomet 
sent  forth  the  Koran  as  a  miracle,  and  many  others  have 
made  similar  pretensions. 

Mr.  B.  You  cannot,  however,  I  think,  bring  forward 
any  instance  of  a  religion  being  placed  upon  a  footing 
similar  to  this.  The  pretended  miracles  which  at  various 
times  have  been  offered  or  promised  by  pretenders  to  di¬ 
vine  communications,  were  of  a  very  different  character 
to  this;  nor  am  I  aware  of  any  instance  in  which  the  faith 
of  those  who  professed  to  believe  in  them  was  put  to  such 
a  test  as  this.  It  is  not  easy  to  conceive  of  any  miracle 
that  could  more  clearly  establish  the  identity  of  Him  who 
spoke  unto  Moses  with  the  Creator  and  Governor  of  the 
world,  or  which  spoke  so  immediately  to  the  comprehen¬ 
sion  of  all,  “The  Lord  he  is  God;  the  Lord  he  is  God.” 
Nor  can  it  be  supposed  that  any  one  but.  Moses  ever 
would  have  used  such  a  declaration;  for  not  only  is  the 
observance  of  this  command  connected  with  a  promise, 
but  the  non-observance  of  it  with  a  curse.  Of  the  fact 
of  its  observance  or  non-observance,  and  of  the  fulfilment 
of  that  promise  or  that  curse,  all  were  equally  able  to 
judge ;  and  therefore  it  cannot  be  imagined  that  any  one 
would,  after  the  time  of  Moses,  produce  a  law  couched 
in  terms  that  must  have  been  its  own  destruction. 

Maria.  Any  person  possessed  of  sufficient  talents  to 
forge  a  code  of  laws,  like  those  in  the  Pentateuch,  would 
never  have  exposed  the  whole  to  such  a  test,  at  once  so 
unnecessary  and  so  fatal  to  imposture. 

Mr.  B.  This  is  also  not  the  only  test  of  the  same  kind; 
but  we  have  not  time  to  consider  more ;  and  the  P(  nta- 
teuch  itself  will  afford  the  best  proofs  of  its  genuineness. 
But,  again,  if  the  Pentateuch  be  not  genuine,  the  other 
Scriptures  which  refer  to  it  cannot  be  genuine ;  and  if  no 
part  of  the  Old  Testament,  ascribed  to  authors  before 
the  time  of  Ezra,  be  genuine,  by  whom  could  they  have 
been  composed?  Certainly  not  by  any  one  individual, 


86  How  does  Mr.  B.  reply  to  this! — 87  How  is  this  illustrated  in  the 
case  of  Moses! — 88  Of  what  does  Mr.  B.  say  we  are  equally  able  to  judge! 
— 89  What  does  Maria’suppose  of  one  capable  of  forging  such  a  code  of 
laws! — 90  But  if  the  Pentateuch  be  not  genuine,  what  follows  respecting 
die  other  scriptures! 


18 


206 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


nor  yet  by  any  number  of  contemporaries  acting  in  con¬ 
cert,  the  internal  evidence  being  most  decisively  against 
either  supposition;  but  if  these  books  were  written  in 
different  ages,  and  yet  are  all  spurious,  we  are  compelled 
to  acknowledge  a  miracle  for  no  purpose  against  them, 
in  order  to  escape  the  acknowledgment  of  much  more 
reasonable  miracles  contained  in  them. 

Maria.  The  supposition  of  imposture  seems  attended 
with  insuperable  difficulties,  as  connected  with  the  au¬ 
thors  of  these  books,  both  with  reference  to  their  authen¬ 
ticity  and  credibility. 

Mr.  B.  And  their  reception  by  the  Jews  only  involves 
still  more  difficulties.  In  defence  of  this  volume,  and  the 
faith  they  build  upon  it,  what  have  they  not  suffered! 
yet,  look  at  its  contents,  and  where  is  the  ground  of  at¬ 
tachment,  if  any  doubt  had  ever  existed  among  them  as 
to  its  truth?  What  generation  would  ever  have  taken 
up  such  a  yoke  of  bondage,  had  it  been  unknown  to  their 
fathers,  or  destitute  of  the  evidence  of  miracles?  What 
could  induce  them  to  continue  to  hold  in  veneration  rec¬ 
ords  so  disgraceful  to  them,  but  a  conviction  that  their 
origin  was  such  as  is  alleged? 

Edward.  I  do  not  think  their  belief  in  the  Old  Testa¬ 
ment  has  ever  been  seriously  questioned;  but  this  is  only 
their  belief. 

Mr.  B.  Still  of  how  great  force  is  the  belief  of  a  nation 
situated  as  they  have’  been  in  a  matter  of  this  nature? 
If  it  cannot  be  proved  that  these  writings  are  spurious, 
how  can  the  argument,  derived  both  from  external  and 
internal  evidence,  be  evaded?  The  unbelief  of  other  na¬ 
tions  cannot  make  void  belief  so  attested  as  theirs  has 
been.  We  have  no  coeval  testimony  against  the  Old 
Testament.  We  have  no  internal  evidence  involving 
absurdity  or  impossibility.  Many  of  the  authors  of  these 
books  probably  little  anticipated  the  scrutiny  they- would 
undergo,  and  even  the  latest  period  which  could  be  as- 


91  What  admission  does  Maria  allow,  on  the  supposition  of  imposture 
in  these  hooks'? — 92  What  question  does  Mr.  B  introduce,  respecting  the 
conduct  of  the  Jews,  touching  the  genuineness  of 'these  books'? — 93  What 
does  Edward  say  of  their  belief  in  them?— 94  Can  the  argument  be  evad¬ 
ed,  provided  these  writings  cannot  be  proved  spurious! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


207 


signed  for  their  production  was  not  that  in  which  works 
would  appear  which  would  stand  the  test  of  ages.  The 
religion  of  the  Old  Testament  is  such  as  no  other  country 
#  ever  has  produced  where  that  was  unknown.  It  has  al¬ 
ways  been  the  great  delight  of  infidels  to  despise  the 
country,  and  ridicule  the  people,  whence  these  records 
have  proceeded;  apparently  forgetful  that  the  more  con¬ 
tempt  they  heap  upon  this  nation,  the  more  difficult  it 
becomes  to  account  for  their  worlds. 


.  CONVERSATION  XIV. 

Mr.  B.  We  have  hitherto  considered  the  evidences  for 
the  Old  and  New  Testaments  separate  from  each  other, 
and  in  either  case  found  the  strongest  probability  for  the 
truth  of  each.  By  connecting  them,  we  shall  increase 
those  probabilities  to  a  degree  amounting  so  near  to  cer¬ 
tainty,  that  it  is  only  exceeded  by  mathematical  demon- 
strr  tiojj. 

Maria.  By  what  means  do  you  effect  this? 

Mr.  B.  By  showing  that  the  whole  Bible  only  contains 
a  succession  of  revelations  connected  with  various  dis¬ 
pensations,  of  which  each  was  designed  to  be  preparato¬ 
ry  for  that  which  was  to  follow;  so  that  the  Old  Testa¬ 
ment  is  completed  and  perfected  in  the  New,  to  which  it 
formed  a  necessary  introduction. 

Edward.  This  merely  depends,  then,  upon  the  history 
of  the  Bible? 

Mr.  B.  The  Scriptures  are  of  course  our  only  guide, 
and  since  at  present  we  have  every  reason  to  believe  they 
are  from  God,  we  must  follow  their  leading  implicitly. 
The  knowledge  of  the  great  Creator  of  all  things,  which 
may  be  derived  from  observation  on  his  works,  is  of 

95  Wha^  is  said  of  the  religion  of  the  Old  Testament* 1? 

1  How  have  the  evidences' of  the  Old  and  New  Testament  been  consid¬ 
ered,  and  how  may  the  Weight  of  evidence  be  still  further  augmented? — 2 
How  may  this  be  done? — 3  What  is  our  only  guide  in  matters  of  religion? 


208 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


course  very  limited;  nor  can  the  experience  of  mankind, 
as  to  his  providence,  add  much.  We  “  believe  that  he 
is,  and  that  he  is  a  rewarder  of  them  that  diligently  seek 
him.”  As  we  do  not  perceive  any  fixed  law  of  reward 
in  this  life,  we  hope  for  it  in  another  state  of  being,  to 
which  we  appear  to  be  fast  hastening,  for  which  this  pres¬ 
ent  state  seems  only  preparatory,  and  which  is  to  us, 
therefore,  of  the  utmost  importance 

Edward.  From  the  Scriptures  we  learn  that  these  opin¬ 
ions  are  just,  so  that  we  may  proceed  safely,  being  at 
least  so  far  agreed. 

Mr.  B.  From  the  Scriptures  we  also  learn  many  things 
which  otherwise  we  could  not  have  known,  and  of  a 
nature  to  prove  the  necessity  of  a  divine  revelation,-  as  well 
as  its  expediency. 

Maria.  But  these  we  only  admit  on  the  authority  of 
Scripture,  having  no  further  testimony  to  them. 

Mr.  B.  Not  exactly  so:  even  to  these  additional  state¬ 
ments,  the  certainty  as  well  as  the  knowledge  of  which 
we  owe  to  Scripture  alone,  general  experience  bears 
some  testimony,  though  not  sufficient  of  itself  to  estab¬ 
lish  any  thing.  From  the  attributes  of  the  Creator,  we 
conclude  that  his  creation  must  have  been  originally 
“very  good,”  which  the  Scripture  confirms.  From  the 
present  state  of  the  world  we  conclude,  that  evil  has  been 
introduced  into  it;  but  further  than  this  we  cannot  go.  It 
is  the  Scripture  alone  that  can  explain  to  u^  how  it  was 
that,  though  “  God  made  man  upright,”  the  creature  has 
so  far  departed  from  his  Creator. 

Edward.  But  is  the  Scripture  account  of  the  fall  of 
man  from  a  state  of  original  purity  to  be  received  lite¬ 
rally? 

Mr.  B.  Upon  this  subject  various  opinions  have  oeen 
entertained;  but  I  confess  I  am  unable  to  perceive  any 
trace  in  the  Bible  itself  of  any  other  than  a  literal  inter¬ 
pretation.  The  Bible  unquestionably,  when  its  eviden¬ 
ces  are  called  in  question,  must  be  allowed  to  be  its  own 


4  What  doctrine  of  scripture  is  here  named  as  of  great  value! — 5  What 
do  we  learn  from  the  scriptures'! — 6  From  what  source  do  these  statements 
of  scripture  receive  somp  confirmation! — 7  Is  the  scripture  account  of  the 
foil  of  man  to  be  received  literally! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  209 

interpreter,  let  the  consequences  be  what  they  may.  I 
would  reject,  therefore,  altogether,  any  attempt  to  accom¬ 
modate  the  language  of  Scripture  to  the  wishes  of  those 
to  whom  it  may  be  addressed.  Whatsoever  is  contained 
therein  is  either  contrary  to  fact  and  possibility,  or  not: 
if  the  former,  the  whole  must  be  rejected;  if  the  latter, 
it  must  be  retained,  in  consequence  of  the  probability 
already  shown  that  it  is  from  God;  for  however  great  the 
witness  of  man  may  be,  “the  witness  of  God  is  greater.” 

Maria.  What  other  interpretation  than  a  literal  one 
has  there  ever  been  brought  forward? 

Mr.  B.  The  enemies  of  Christianity  have  attempted  to 
overthrow  some  branches  of  its  evidences,  by  resorting  to 
a  figurative  or  allegorical  interpretation;  and  some  of  its 
friends  have  likewise  had  recourse  to  the  same  aid,  in 
order  to  defend  particular  parts  which  have  excited  the 
strongest  efforts  on  the  parts  of  their  adversaries.  It 
ought  not,  however,  to  be  asked,  “How  can  the  ques¬ 
tion  be  most  readily  decided  either  way?”  but,  “What 
decision  do  the  Scriptures  themselves  give?”  If  they 
rest.their  claims  upon  a  foundation  which  will  not  sup¬ 
port  them,  from  that  very  fact  they  are  overthrown;  but 
if  they  rely  upon  a  defence  which  will  indeed  support 
them,  though  not  in  the  way  we  should  have  expected, 
nevertheless,  since  by  that  defence  they  stand,  and  their 
authority  is  established,  by  that  defence  we  must  abide 
also,  in  preference  to  any  other  which  to  us  might  have 
appeared  better.  Now,  the  narrative  of  the  fall  of  man 
is  given  without  any  intimation  of  allegory;  it  is  alluded 
to  in  various  parts  of  the  sacred  volume  as  fact,  is  ar¬ 
gued  upon  as  such,  and  therefore  as  such  must  be  re¬ 
ceived. 

Edward.  But  this  exposes  Christianity  to  greater  dan¬ 
ger,  does  it  not? 

Mr.  B.  To  no  danger  which  it  is  not  able  to  overcome ; 

8  What  does  Mr.  B.  say  of  rejecting  attempts  to  accommodate  the  lan¬ 
guage  of  scripture  to  the  wishes  of  individuals'? — 9  What  question  is  ask¬ 
ed  by  Maria  respecting  the  fain — 10  What  two  classes  of  persons  have 
attempted  to  explain  away  its  literal  meaning'? — 11  How  should  this  mat¬ 
ter  be  decided! — 12  In  what  manner  is  the  narrative  of  the  fall  of  man 
given'? — 13  Edward  inquires  if  this  does  not  expose  Christianity  to  greater 
danger — What  is  the  reply  of  Mr.  B.1 


210 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


but  even  were  this  not  the  case,  in  inquiring  into  the  truth 
of  the  religion  itself,  we  have  no  right  to  make  conclu¬ 
sions,  merely  with  reference  to  its  advantage. 

Connected  with  the  fall  of  man  we  find  the  first  of  a 
series  of  promises  made  by  the  Creator  to  mankind,  of  a 
future  salvation  from  the  fatal  consequences  of  that  fall, 
the  promise,  unconnected  with  those  that  followed  it, 
more  calculated  to  give  hope  than  information.  In  a 
succession  of  revelations  afterwards  made,  we  find  this 
promise  confirmed,  the  manner  of  its  fulfilment  shadowed 
out,  and  the  consequences  enlarged  upon.  Again,  we 
find  the  whole  of  the  dispensations  of  the  great  Governor 
of  the  world  conducted  with  reference  to  its  fulfilment. 
When  the  wickedness  of  man  became  so  great  on  the 
earth  that  the  most  terrible  destruction  swept  away  its 
inhabitants,  one  family  was  spared  to  preserve  the  human 
race  alive.  When  a  second  general  corruption  of  man¬ 
kind  was  taking  place,  one  family  was  again  severed  from 
the  rest  to  preserve  the  knowledge  of  the  true  God. 
Through  a  long  course  of  time  the  descendants  of  that 
house  were  prepared  by  a  necessary  discipline  foi*  the 
accomplishment  of  the  promise.  They  were  separated, 
as  a  nation,  from  the  rest  of  the  world;  were  placed  un¬ 
der  a  special  providence;  were  commanded  to  observe  a 
law  which  was  designed  to  teach  the  nature  and  impor¬ 
tance  of  the  salvation  hereafter  to  be  revealed;  and  were 
made,  unconsciously,  the  means  of  preserving  the  strong¬ 
est  proofs  of  the  reality  of  the  fulfilment  of  the  great 
promise.  Connected  with  that  promise,  as  again  and 
again  confirmed  by  holy  men  of  God,  were  now  added  a 
vast  number  of  prophecies,  the  design  of  which  was  to 
fix  unequivocally  the  truth  of  its  accomplishment,  or  to 
develope  important  facts  more  or  less  connected  with  it. 

Maria.  You  will  bring  in,  then,  the  aid  of  prophecy 
at  last:  it  has  surprised  me  that  you  have  not  made  use 
of  it  before. 


14  What  is  intimately  connected  in  scripture  with  the  fall  of  man'?— 15 
What 'merciful  interpositions  of  the  Almighty  are  on  record,  when  the  gen¬ 
erations  of  men  became  corrupted? — 16  What  is  recorded  of  the  descend¬ 
ants  of  that  house? — 17  What  were  afterwards  connected  with  the  great 
promise  of  man’s  salvation? 


21 1 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 

Mr.  B.  Thus  the  whole  of  the  Old  Testament  is  pre¬ 
paratory  to  some  greater  dispensation  which  was  to  fol¬ 
low.  The  Christian  asserts,  that  the  New  Testament 
contains  that  better  covenant;  that  the  salvation  has  been 
wrought;  that  the  Jewish  dispensation  is  superseded; 
and  thaj  no  other  revelation  will  be  given  from  heaven 
till  the  consummation  of  all  things;  that  nevertheless  all 
is  now  regulated  with  reference  to  the  Gospel  of  Christ, 
and  of  this  we  are  to  have  confirmation  in  the  fulfilment 
of  prophecy,  and  in  the  enduring  nature  and  excellency 
of  his  religion. 

Edward.  But  many  of  these  particulars  require  proof : 
some  formidable  objections  lie  against  the  conclusion; 
and  a  single  false  declaration,  which  professes  to  be  of 
divine  origin,  overthrows  the  whole. 

Mr.  B.  For  the  establishment  of  the  general  outline 
which  I  have  given,  the  whole  Bible  itself  is  necessary; 
and  here  it  seems  proper  to  insist  upon  the  necessity  of 
every  one,  disposed  to  be  sceptical  on  the  subject,  taking 
the  trouble  of  giving  the  whole  Bible  at  least  one  serious 
reading  from  beginning  to  end,  before  he  decide  against 
it.  Every  one  able  to  do  it,  ought  to  read  it  in  the  orig¬ 
inal  languages;  but  where  this  cannot  be  done,  certainly 
no  inquirer  into  truth  should  suffer  himself  to  be  preju¬ 
diced  against  any  part,  till  he  is  certain  that  no  error  ex¬ 
ists  in  the  translation,  and  that  he  understands  that  trans¬ 
lation  aright. 

Maria.  But  how  can  this  be  done? 

Mr.  B.  For  common  use,  there  are  the  works  of  many 
learned  men  in  English,  in  addition  to  our  excellent  trans¬ 
lation,  which  may  easily  be  referred  to,  and  whence  a 
pretty  correct  idea  of  the  whole  may  be  obtained.  But 
where  these  books  cannot  be  obtained,  even  the  common¬ 
est  Bible,  with  marginal  references,  when  well  read,  will 
perhaps  do  more  to  confirm  the  faith  of  the  believer  than 
the  best  defence  of  Christianity  extant. 

18  What  does  the  Christian  assert  of  the  two  dispensations,  under  which 
God  has  been  pleased  to  carry  forward  the  purposes  of  hi?  grace? — 19 
Wlint  objection  does  Edward  here  offer  to  the  outline  of  the  foregoing  hy¬ 
pothesis? — 20  For  the  establishment  of  this  outline,  what  is  needful? — 21 
What  is  said  of  reading  the  scriptures  in  the  original  languages? — 22  How* 
can  this  be  done1* 


212 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


Edward.  In  asserting  the  literal  interpretation  of  Scrip¬ 
ture,  is  it  meant  that  every  expression  should  be  under¬ 
stood  literally? 

Mr.  B.  Certainly  not,  where  the  nature  of  the  lan¬ 
guage  or  customs  of  the  people  had  established  the  ap¬ 
plication  of  one  set  of  words  to  ideas  beyond  the  literal 
meaning  of  the  words.  By  objecting  to  any  other  than 
the  plain  and  direct  interpretation  of  Scripture,  my  only 
object  is  to  secure  that  meaning  which  the  sacred  writ¬ 
ers  meant  to  convey,  and  the  sense  in  which  one  under¬ 
stood  another.  If  what  they  wrote  had  been  written  and 
received  as  figurative  or  allegorical,  as  such  I  would  re¬ 
ceive  it  in  examining  their  claims;  but  when  the  sense 
conveys  no  other  than  a  simple  relation  of  facts,  as  such 
only  can  I  understand  it. 

Edward.  But  if  uncertainty  as  to  the  interpretation  of 
prophecy  exist,  as  I  have  heard  it  affirmed,  no  certain 
conclusions  can  be  drawn  from  it;  and  if  the  writers  of 
the  New  Testament  understood  the  language  of  the  Old 
in  a  different  sense  to  that  in  which  others  do,  who  is  to 
decide  the  question? 

Mr.  B.  The  interpretation  of  prophecy  is  a  subject 
which  at  all  times  requires  peculiar  caution;  for  by  the 
very  nature  of  the  language  in  which  they  are  couched, 
the  prophecies  are  frequently  made  only  intelligible  by 
the  event;  and  where  the  fulfilment  of  the  prophecy  as 
well  as  the  prediction  takes  place  at  a  period  greatly  re¬ 
moved  from  the  age  in  which  we  live,  it  is  not  surprising 
that  some  degree  of  obscurity  should  rest  upon  them. 

Edward.  Is  not  this  in  favour  of  my  objection?  An 
obscure  revelation  is  almost  equivalent  to  no  revelation 
at  all. 

Mr.  B.  There  is  no  obscurity  in  those  parts  of  the  Scrip¬ 
tures  which  are  given  as  express  revelations  of  the  will  of 
God,  by  which  we  are  to  govern  our  conduct.  With  re¬ 
gard  to  the  obscurity  attendant  upon  prophecy,  the  na- 

23  Wliat  question  does  Edward  ask,  as  to  the  manner  of  pursuing  this 
investigation! — 24  How  does  Mr.  B.  answer  him! — 25  On  what  account 
does  Edward  suppose  that  no  certain  conclusions  can  be  drawn  respecting 
•the  interpretation  of  prophecy! — 26  Why  does  the  interpretation  of  proph- 
'  ecy  require  peculiar  caution! — 27  In  what  portions  of  scripture  is  there 
no  obscurity! 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY. 


213 


ture  of  the  subject,  in  some  measure,  explains  it.  If  the 
Old  Testament  had  presented  a  full  delineation  of  the 
future,  in  cases  where  no  immediate  exertion  of  divine 
power  was  requisite,  the  fulfilment  might  have  been  im¬ 
puted  to  design  on  the  part  of  man,  and  the  evidence  of 
its  divine  origin  thus  obscured,  if  not  destroyed.  It  was 
necessary  so  to  present  the  future,  as  to  show  that  all  was 
foreseen,  but  that  the  prophecy  should  not  be  the  cause 
of  its  own  fulfilment.  In  points  where  no  human  poiver 
could  fulfil  the  prediction,  we  find  the  declarations  deci¬ 
sive,  and  developed  to  a  very  great  extent. 

Maria.  Such  I  recollect  is  the  case  with  regard  to 
Isaiah’s  predictions  of  the  birth  of  the  Messiah,  and  of 
the  miracles  which  were  to  be  wrought  at  his  coming 

Mr.  B.  And  even  where  supernatural  agency  was  not 
requisite  to  fulfil  the  prophecy,  we  sometimes  find  very 
detailed  and  accurate  delineations,  but  principally  in 
cases  where  the  least  possible  chance  existed  for  a  fulfil¬ 
ment  arising  from  design,  as  in  the  circumstantial  detail 
of  the  nature  of  the  death  and  burial  of  the  Messiah 

Maria.  In  both  these  classes  of  predictions  there  is  no 
appearance  of  any  thing  but  a  literal  fulfilment  being  in¬ 
tended;  and  a  literal  fulfilment  certainly  took  place,  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  New  Testament. 

Mr.  B.  We  can  also  produce  a.  sufficient  number  of 
prophecies,  on  which  no  difference  of  opinion  has  existed 
between  the  Jews  who  lived  previously  to  the  time  of 
our  Lord,  or  his  contemporaries,  and  the  writers  of  the 
New  Testament:  with  regard  to  others,  we  can  certainly 
prove  the  interpretation  of  later  times  adopted  by  the 
Jews  false  and  absurd;  and  in  general  can  satisfactorily 
account  for  any  difference  of  opinion  between  us  and 
them.  You  will  observe  also,  that  with  regard  to  the 
Jews,  to  whom  the  argument  from  prophecy  was  first 


28  What  difficulty  would  have  arisen  from  a  full  delineation,  in  the  Old 
Testament,  of  future  events! — 29  What  was  therefore  necessary! — 30 
Wh  at  case  of  clear  prediction  is  remembered  by  Maria! — 31  In  what 
other  cases  may  we  sometimes  find  very  detailed  and  accurate  delineations 
in  prophecy! — 32  What  does  Maria  remark  of  these  two  classes  of  pre¬ 
dictions!— 33  Are  there  any  prophecies  on  which  no  difference  of  opinion 
has  existed! — 34  And  what  is  said  of  other  prophecies  about  which  no 
reasonable  difficulty  is  known  now  to  exist! 


214 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


addressed,  “Their  agreement,  where  we  have  records, 
is  a  good  presumption  that  in  the  rest,  where  records  are 
deficient,  they  were  also  with  us  in  the  sense  of  those 
Scriptures;  to  which  the  numbers  of  Jews  converted  to 
the  Gospel  by  virtue  of  such  Scripture  testimonies  gives 
an  additional  strength.  For  it  cannot  be  thought  by  any 
but  sceptics,  that  such  numbers  of  all  degrees  of  Jews, 
at  that  time  learned,  rulers,  priests,  scribes,  of  all  sects, 
men  by  their  profession  and  station  obliged  to  know  the 
Scriptures,  should  forsake  the  religion  they  were  most 
tenacious  of,  upon  the  authority  of  texts  that  made  noth¬ 
ing  for  the  religion  they  went  over  to,  or  were  evidently 
against  it,  without  prospect  of  worldly  advantage,  to  the 
certain  hazard  of  their  lives,  yea,  and  of  God’s  favour 
too  after  death  (which  they  hoped  for),  did  not  they  act 
sincerely.  Fancy  as  you  will  a  weakness  or  enthusiasm 
in  those  that  set  about  converting  the  Jews  in  the  meth- 
od  of  impertinent  citations ;  their  weakness  could  not  make 
their  proofs  strong,  nor  infuse  credulity  into  men  certainly 
qualified  to  judge  of  their  proofs,  as  having  the  Old  and  Neil) 
Testament  in  their  hands,  and  who,  after  comparing  them 
together,  did  yet  assent  to  the  truth  of  their  reasoning, 
and  became  disciples.” 

Maria.  Whose  observations  are  these? 

Mr.  B.  They  occur  in  the  Introduction  of  Bishop  Chan¬ 
dler’s  Defence  of  Christianity,  from  the  Prophecies  of 
the  Old  Testament;  a  work  of  great  value,  from  the  pro¬ 
found  rabbinical  learning  of  the  author.  In  this  work 
he  undertakes  to  prove  the  following  positions: — 

“1.  That  there  was  a  general  expectation  of  a  Mes- 
sias  to  come  at  the  time  that  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ap¬ 
peared;  which  was  the  tradition  of  their  ancestors  from 
the  ages  before  that  up  to  the  age  next  to  the  prophets 
themselves. 

“2.  To  support  this  expectation,  there  were  in  their 
Scriptures  express  literal  prophecies  that  singly  concern¬ 
ed  the  Messiah. 

“  3.  They  had  also  typical  prophecies  to  the  same  ef- 

35  What  is  the  substance  of  the  quotation  here  made1.— *36  What  is  said 
of  the  work  from  which  it  is  made”? — 37  What  are  the  two  first  proposi¬ 
tions  he  undertakes  to  prove  1 — 38  What  are  the  third  and  fourth  ones'? 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  215 

feet,  the  literal  meaning  of  which  was  intended  to  be  ap¬ 
plied  to  the  Messias. 

“4.  The  exceptions  taken  to  some  texts,  cited  from 
the  Old  in  the  New  Testament,  are  frivolous,  and  ought 
to  cast  no  discredit  on  the  Gospel  wherein  they  are 
found. 

“5.  The  allegoric  or  other  methods  of  citing  and  ex¬ 
plaining  Scripture,  which  the  Jews  were  accustomed  to, 
though  different  from  the  manner  of  arguing  which  the 
later  ages  have  confined  themselves  to,  might  justly  be 
followed,  as  it  is  sometimes  by  the  writers  of  the  New 
Testament,  according  to  the  allowed  maxims  of  disputa¬ 
tion,  in  reasoning  with  Jews;  or,  in  other  words,  the 
apostles  deserve  no  censure  for  using  arguments  ad  homi- 
nem. 

tc  6.  The  sense  fixed  by  Christ  and  his  apostles  on  the 
prophecies  of  the  Old  Testament,  supposing  many  of 
those  prophecies  capable  of  suiting  other  persons  and 
times  than  those  of  the  Messias,  is  certainly  preferred  to 
any  other  sense  they  may  possibly  be  taken  in.” — Chand. 
Int.  p.  16. 

These  positions  are,  I  think,  satisfactorily  established 
by  the  learned  and  candid  author,  and  you  will  find  the 
whole  of  his  proofs  well  deserving  of  attention.  I  have 
read  few  books  on  the  prophecies  with  equal  satisfaction. 

Edward.  What  prophecies  does  he  adduce  as  certainly 
and  exclusively  relating  to  the  Messias? 

Mr.  B„  He  selects  the  following  as  immediately  and 
solely  in  the  obvious  and  literal  sense,  according  to  scholas¬ 
tic  rules,  referring  to  him. 

“  1.  Behold,  I  will  send  my  messenger,  and  he  shall 
prepare  the  way  before  me:  and  the  Lord,  whom  ye 
seek,  shall  suddenly  come  to  his  temple,  even  the  mes¬ 
senger  of  the  covenant,  whom  ye  delight  in:  behold,  he 
shall  come,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts.” — Mai.  iii.  1.  p.  52. 

“2.  Behold,  I  will  send  you  Elijah  the  prophet  be¬ 
fore  the  coming  of  the  great  and  dreadful  day  of  the 

39  What  is  the  fifth  one1? — 40  And  what  is  the  sixth  one? — 41  What 
does  Mr.  B.  say  of  these  propositions? — 42  What  is  the  first  prophecy  he 
adduces  as  certainly  and  exclusively  relating  to  Messias? — 43  What  is 
the  second  one? 


216 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


Lord:  and  he  shall  turn  the  hearts  of  the  fathers  to  (or 
with)  the  children,  and  the  heart  of  the  children  to  (or 
with)  the  fathers,  lest  I  come  and  smite  the  earth  with  a 
curse.” — Mai.  iv.  5,  6,  p.  64. 

“3.  For  thus  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts,  yet  once,  it  is 
a  little  while,,  and  I  will  shake  the  heavens,  and  the 
earth,  and  the  sea,  and  the  dry  land;  and  I  will  shake 
all  nations,  and  the  desire  of  all  nations  shall  come:  and 
I  will  fill  this  house  with  glory,  saith  the  Lord.  The 
silver  is  mine,  and  the  gold  is  mine,  saith  the  Lord  of 
hosts.  The  glory  of  this  latter  house  shall  be  greater 
than  of  the  former;  and  in  this  place  will  I  give  peace, 
saith  the  Lord  of  hosts. — Hag.  ii.  6 — 9,  p.  71. 

“4.  Rejoice  greatly,  O  daughter  of  Zion;  shout,  0 
daughter  of  Jerusalem;  behold,  thy  King  cometh  unto 
thee;  the  righteous  one,  and  that  Saviour,  lowly  and 
riding  upon  an  ass,  and  upon  a  colt,  the  foal  of  an  ass.” 
Zech.  ix.  9,  p.  84. 

“  5.  And  I  will  pour  upon  the  house  of  David,  and 
upon  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  the  spirit  of  grace 
and  supplications;  and  they  shall  look  upon  me  whom 
they  have  pierced,  and  they  shall  mourn  for  him,  as  one 
mourneth  for  his  only  son,  and  shall  be  in  bitterness  for 
him,  as  one  that  is  in  bitterness  for  his  first-born. — Zech. 
xii.  10,  p.  88. 

6.  “  And  in  the  days  of  these  kings  shall  the  God  of 
heaven  setup  a  kingdom,  which  shall  never  be  destroyed: 
and  the  kingdom  shall  not  be  left  to  other  people,  but  it 
shall  break  in  pieces  and  'consume  all  these  kingdoms, 
and  it  shall  stand  for  ever.  Forasmuch  as  thou  sawest, 
that  the  stone  was  cut  out  of  the  mountain  without  hands, 
and  that  it  brake  in  pieces  the  iron,  the  brass,  the  clay, 
the  silver,  and  the  gold. — Dan.  ii.  44,  45,  p.  95. 

“7.  I  saw  in  the  night  visions,  and,  behold,  one  like 
the  Son  of  Man  came  with  the  clouds  of  heaven,  and 
came  to  the  Ancient  of  days,  and  they  brought  him  near 
before  him.  And  there  was  given  him  dominion,  and 
glory,  and  a  kingdom,  that  all  people,  nations  and  lan- 


44  What  is  the  third! — 45  And  the  fourth1?— 46  The  fifth1?— 47  The 
sixth1? — 48  What  is  the  seventh  one1? 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY.  217 

gaages.  should  serve  him:  his  dominion  is  an  everlast¬ 
ing  dominion,  which  shall  not  pass  away,  and  his  kingdom 
shall  not  be  destroyed. — Van.  vii.  13,  14,  p.  106. 

“8.  Seventy  weeks  are  determined  upon  thy  people 
and  upon  thy  holy  city,  to  finish  the  transgression,  to 
seal  up  sins,  to  make  reconciliation  for  iniquity,  and  to 
bring  in  everlasting  righteousness,  and  to  seal  up  the 
vision  and  prophecy,  and  to  anoint  the  most  holy.  Know, 
therefore,  and  understand,  that  from  the  going  forth  of 
the  commandment  to  build  Jerusalem  again  unto  Mes¬ 
siah  the  prince,  shall  be  seven  weeks,  and  threescore 
and  two  weeks:  the  streets  shall  be  built  again,  and  the 
wall,  even  in  troublous  times.  And  after  threescore  and 
two  weeks  shall  Messiah  be  cut  off,  and  they  shall  not 
be  his  (people);  and  the  people  of  the  prince  that  shall 
come,  shall  destroy  the  city  and  the  sanctuary;  and  the 
end  thereof  shall  be  with  a  flood,  and  at  the  end  of  the 
war  desolations  are  determined.  And  he  shall  confirm 
the  covenant  with  many  for  one  week;  and  in  one  part 
of  that  week  he  shall  cause  the  sacrifice  and  oblation  to 
cease;  and  upon  the  battlement  shall  be  the  idols  of  the 
desolator  until  the  consummation,  viz.  of  God’s  wrath, 
and  that  determined,  shall  be  poured  upon  the  desolator. 
-r-Van.  ix.  24—27,  p.  109. 

“  9.  But  thou,  Bethlehem  Ephratah,  though  thou  be 
little  among  the  thousands  of  Judah,  yet  out  of  thee 
shall  he  come  forth  unto  me  that  is  to  be  ruler  in  Israel; 
whose  goings  forth  have  been  of  old,  from  everlasting. — 
Mic.  v.  2,  p.  124. 

“  10.  For  the  vision  is  yet  for  an  appointed  time,  but 
at  the  end  it  (or  he)  shall  speak  and  not  lie.  Though  he 
tarry,  wait  for  him. — Hab.  ii.  3,  4,  p.  132. 

“11.  In  that  day  will  I  raise  up  the  tabernacle  of 
David  that  is  fallen,  and  close  up  the  breaches  thereof ; 
and  I  will  raise  up  his  ruins,  and  I  will  build  it  as  in  the 
days  of  old:  that  they  may  possess  the  remnant  of  Edom, 
and  of  all  the  heathen  which  are  called  by  my  name, 
saith  the  Lord  that  doth  this. — Amos,  ix'  11,  12,  p.  139. 


.49  Wliat  is  the  eighth  one! — 50  What  is  the  ninth! — 51  What  is  the 
tenth  of  these  propositions! — 52  What  is  the  eleventh! 

19 


218 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


“  12.  Behold,  my  servant  shall  prosper;  he  shall  bo 
exalted  and  extolled,  and  be  very  high.  As  many  were 
astonished  at  thee;  (his  visage  was  so  marred,  more 
than  any  other  man,  and  his  form  more  than  the  sons  of 
men  ;)  so  shall  he  sprinkle  many  nations;  the  kings 
shall  shut  their  mouths  at  him:  for  that  which  was  not 
told  them  shall  they  see,  and  that  which  they  had  not 
heard  shall  they  consider.  Who  hath  believed  our  re¬ 
port?  and  to  whom  is  the  arm  of  the  Lord  revealed? 
For  he  shall  grow  up  as  a  tender  plant  before  him,  and 
as  a  root  out  of  a  dry  ground:  he  hath  no  form  nor  come¬ 
liness;  and  when  we  shall  see  him,  there  is  no  beauty 
that  we  should  desire  him.  He  is  despised  and  rejected 
of  men;  a  man  of  sorrows,  and  acquainted  with  grief : 
as  a  hiding  of  faces  from  us,  he  was  despised,  and  we 
esteemed  him  not.  Surely  he  hath  borne  our  griefs,  and 
carried  our  sorrows,  u'hen  we  did  esteem  him  stricken, 
smitten  of  God  and  afflicted.  But  he  was  wounded  for 
our  transgressions,  he  was  bruised  for  our  iniquities:  the 
chastisement  of  our  peace  was  upon  him,  and  with  his 
stripes  we  are  healed.  All  we,  like  sheep,  have  gone 
astray;  we  have  turned  back  every  one  to  his  own  way; 
and  the  Lord  hath  laid  upon  him  the  iniquity  of  us  all. 
He  was  oppressed  (or  rather  the  debt  was  demanded) 
and  he  was  afflicted,  yet  he  opened  not  his  mouth.  He 
is  brought  as  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter ;  and  as  a  sheep 
before  her  shearers  is  dumb,  so  he  opened  not  his  mouth. 
He  was  taken  off  by  authority,  and  by  judgment,  and  who 
shall  declare  his  generation  (or  lineage ?)  when  he  shall 
be  cut  off  from  the  land  of  the  living,  and  for  the  trans¬ 
gression  of  my  people  stricken.  And  he  (the  people) 
made  his  grave  with  the  wicked;  but  it  shall  be  with  the 
rich  after  his  death;  because  he  had  done  no  violence, 
neither  was  any  deceit  in  his  mouth.  Yet  it  pleased 
God  to  bruise  him:  he  hath  put  him  to  grief :  if  he  shall 
make  his  soul  an  offering  for  sin,  he  shall  see  his  seed, 
that  shall  prolong  their  days,  and  the  pleasure  of  the 
Lord  shall  prosper  in  his  hands.  Because  of  the  travail 
of  his  soul  he  shall  see  his  desire,  and  be  satisfied:  by 


53  And  what  is  the  twelfth  of  them'! 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY.  219 

his  knowledge  shall  my  righteous  servant  justify  many, 
whose  iniquities  he  shall  bear.  Therefore  will  I  divide 
him  a  portion  of  the  great,  and  he  shall1  divide  the  spoil 
of  the  strong;  because  he  hath  poured  out  his  soul  unto 
death,  and  was  numbered  with  the  transgressors,  and 
bare  the  sin  of  many,  and  made  intercession  for  the 
transgressors.” — Isaiah,  lii.  13,  &c.  p.  147. 

Now  if  Jesus  of  Nazareth  be  not  the  Messiah,  every 
one  of  these  prophecies  has  proved  false;  if  he  be,  every 
one  has  been  accomplished.  Their  integrity,  their  in¬ 
terpretation,  their  application  to  the  Messias,  and  him 
alone,  are  certain,  as  Bishop  Chandler  shows  at  large. 
They  limit  the  time  and  place  of  his  birth,  and  of  his 
death;  they  show  the  circumstances  which  were  to  pre¬ 
cede  his  coming,  those  which  would  attend  his  life,  and 
those  which  follow  his  death;  and  by  all  the  testimony 
we  can  collect  upon  the  subject,  in  every  particular  have 
these  prophecies  been  fulfilled;  for  our  Lord  did  appear 
in  the  second  Temple,  was  preceded  by  John  the  Baptist 
in  the  spirit  and  power  of  Elias,  and  did  enter  Jerusalem 
in  the  manner  predicted.  He  was  born  at  Bethlehem; 
he  was  pierced  and  cut  off  at  Jerusalem,  at  the  time  ap¬ 
pointed;  Jerusalem  was  made  desolate,  and  the  kingdom 
of  Jesus  was  established,  has  continued  to  this  day,  and 
continually  advances  in  every  part  of  the  gtobe. 

Edward.  The  collected  force  of  this  is  indeed  very 
great;  for  the  evidence  is  unexceptionable,  the  prophe¬ 
cies  being  in  the  hands  of  enemies,  and  their  fulfilment 
matter  of  fact  known  unto  all,  as  we  before  ascertained. 

Mr.  B.  And  of  these  facts  these  very  prophecies  form 
a  most  irresistible  confirmation;  for  from  the  beginning 
the  facts  were  alleged  as  fidfihnents  of  the  'prophecies, 
and  yet  neither  the  one  nor  the  other  could  be  denied. 
But  if  these  are  acknowledged,  who  will  deny  the  appli¬ 
cation  of  the  other  prophecies  to  our  Lord  ?  Who  can 
doubt  that  of  him  alone  David  wrote,  when  he  said, 

54  If  Jesus  of  Nazareth  be  not  the  Messiah,  what  may  be  said  of  these 
prophecies'? — 55  In  what  particulars  were  these  prophecies  literally  appli¬ 
cable  to  him? — 56  What  does  Edward  say  of  the  collected  force  of  the 
,  argument,  as  it  now  stands? — 57  What  does  Mr.  B.  say  of  the  above  facts 
as  connected  with  the  prophecies  named? — 58  What  is  the  passage  quoted 
from  David  respecting  our  Lord? 


220 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


“  They  pierced  my  hands  and  my  feet;  they  stand  staring 
and  looking  upon  me:  they  parted  my  garments  among 
them,  and  for  my  vesture  they  cast  lots : — all  they  that  see 
me  laugh  me  to  scorn:  they  shootout  the  lip,  they  shake  the 
head,  saying,  He  trusted  on  the  Lord  that  he  would  deliver 
him;  let  him  deliver  him,  seeing  he  delighteth  in  him: — 
they  gave  me  also  gall  for  my  meat,  and  in  my  thirst  they 
gave  me  vinegar  to  drink  1” 

Maria.  All  those  beautiful  and  affecting  Psalms  be¬ 
come  of  infinitely  greater  importance  and  interest  when 
thus  explained  by  the  event. 

Mr.  j B.  Of  whom  also  but  our  Lord  did  the  Psalmist 
write,  when  he  rejoiced  that  “his  sold  would  not  be  left 
in  hell;”  and  that  the  Lord  would  “not  suffer  his  Holy 
One  to  see  corruption  ?”  Whose  triumph  did  he  celebrate, 
if  not  that  of  the  risen  Son  of  God,  in  the  words,  “  Thou 
hast  ascended  up  on  High — thou  hast  led  captivity  captive ; 
thou  hast  received  gifts  for  men,  even  for  the  rebellious  also, 
that  the  Lord  God  might  dwell  among  them  ?”  We  have 
in  the  testimony  of  prophecy  to  our  Lord,  not  the  agree¬ 
ment  of  a  few  particulars,  or  the  accomplishment  of 
vague  and  intermediate  predictions;  but  the  prophecies 
are  such  as  could  not  possibly  be  foreseen  by  human 
knowledge,  such  as  could  not  possibly  be  fulfilled  by  hu¬ 
man  artifice:  in  detail  they  are  unexceptionable,  and  in 
the  mass  irresistible. 


CONVERSATION  XV. 

Edward.  The  prophecies  you  brought  forward  in  our 
last  conversation  have  so  strongly  impressed  my  mind 
with  the  certainty  of  the  argument  thence  derived  in  fa¬ 
vour  of  the  divine  origin  of  the  Scriptures,  that  I  should 
conceive  their  evidence  irresistible,  had  I  not  heard  that 

59  What  are  the  two  questions  proposed  by  Mr.  B.  in  the  last  para¬ 
graph  of  this  conversation'! — 60  And  with  what  additional  remark  on  the 
testimony  of  prophecy  does  he  conclude  the  conversation'! 

1  With  what  observation  does  Edward  commence  the  fifteenth  conver¬ 
sation! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  221 

the  interpretation  of  the  prophecies  was  very  doubtful  in 
all  eases,  and  that  many  eminent  men  had  given  up  the 
arguments  derived  from  them. 

Mr.  B.  That  some  eminent  men  may  have  doubted  re¬ 
specting  them  may  be  true;  but  this  proves  little,  for  the 
majority  have  acknowledged  the  force  of  the  argument. 
Those  who  have  studied  the  subject  of  the  prophecies 
most  carefully  have  generally  been  the  most  zealous 
advocates. 

Maria.  But  there  may  be  something  in  the  subject  cal¬ 
culated  to  carry  away  the  mind  from  fact  to  supposition; 
and  those  who  have  studied  this  subject  most,  perhaps, 
have  not  given  decided  proofs  of  their  acuteness  in  others. 

Mr.  B.  In  making  this  assertion,  you  are  falling  into 
the  very  fault  you  condemn;  for  the  fads  of  the  case 
are  altogether  against  your  hypothesis.  Bacon,  Newton, 
and  Warburton,  names  not  easily  equalled,  stand  pre¬ 
eminent  among  the  advocates  for  prophecy.  Yet  of 
these,  the  first  most  strenuously  recommends  the  study 
of  it,  as  calculated  to  throw'  light  upon  history;  the  sec¬ 
ond  himself  wrote  upon  it ;  and  the  last  founded  a  lec¬ 
ture,  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  the  public  attention 
fixed  upon  it,  and  calling  forth  the  labours  of  the  learned 
in  its  elucidation. 

Edward.  Was  there  not  a  Bishop  Newton,  who  wrote 
upon  the  prophecies,  as  well  as  Sir  Isaac  ? 

Mr.  B.  Bishop  Newton’s  work  is  one  of  the  most  use¬ 
ful  books  which  we  have  upon  the  subject,  and  is  not  less 
interesting  in  itself  than  important  for  the  immense  body 
of  proof  which  it  contains.  He  takes  the  prophecies  in 
chronological  order,  and  brings  forward  such  a  number 
of  testimonies  to  their  fulfilment,  from  profane  as  well 
as  sacred  authors,  that  little  more  need  be  desired  on  the 
subject. 

Edward.  But  has  it  not  been  conjectured,  that  some 
of  the  prophecies  must  have  been  written  after  the 

events,  from  the  accuracy  of  the  fulfilment  ? 

_ _____ _ , _ . _ » 

2  What  reply  is  given  by  Mr.  B.t — 8  Maria  here  makes  a  suggestion — 
what  is  it! — 4  How  does  Mr.  B.  reply  to  it? — 5  What  does  he  say  of  the 
work  of  Itislnp  Newton  on  the  prophecies'! — 6  What  question  is  asked 
by  Edward  as  to  the  time  at  which  some  of  the  prophecies  wese  written! 

19* 


222 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


Mr.  B.  Porphyry  jnaintained  an  opinion  of  this  hind 
with  regard  to  the  book  of  Daniel.  He  found  no  diffi¬ 
culty  in  applying  it  to  the  historical  events  which  had 
occurred;  but,  being  determined  to  reject  the  conclusion 
to  which  this  agreement  would  naturally  lead,  he  argued 
that  it  must  have  been  written  subsequently;  whereas, 
there  is  nothing  more  certain  than  that  the  book  was  in 
existence  prior  to  the  events  in  question. 

Maria.  His  opposition  has  then  become  advantageous 
to  the  cause  which  he  sought  to  overthrow? 

Mr.  B.  In  this  case,  as  in  the  arguments  of  Celsus 
against  the  miracles  of  our  Lord,  the  evidence  of  our 
adversaries  is  of  the  greatest  consequence,  as  proving 
the  facts;  for  it  is  not  very  cifficult  to  overthrow  their 
false  reasoning. 

Edward.  What  other  prophecies  are  generally  brought 
forward  in  defence  of  the  Scriptures,  besides  those  relat¬ 
ing  to  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ?  * 

Mr.  B.  They  are  principally  those  relative  to  the  Jews, 
those  relative  to  the  Christian  church,  and  those  relative 
to  the  destruction  of  great  cities  and  empires  more  imme¬ 
diately  connected  with  the  Jewish  or  Christian  dispensa¬ 
tion.  There  are  some  others  of  a  more  general  nature 
also  highly  interesting,  and  some,  on  which  considerable 
obscurity  now  rests,  of  less  importance,  but  still  deserv¬ 
ing  of  attention.  The  prophecies  which  predict  the  dis¬ 
persion  of  the  Jews  are  peculiarly  interesting,  as  their 
fulfilment  is  yet  before  our  eyes;  and  those  which  have 
reference  to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  are  scarcely 
less  so,  as  the  historical  evidence  is  so  full  and  explicit 
that  there  is  no  denying  the  facts.  Nothing  had  occur¬ 
red  in  the  history  of  mankind,  before  the  time  of  Moses, 
that  could  suggest  such  singular  denunciations  as  those 
contained  in  the  twenty-eighth  chapter  of  the  book  of 
Deuteronomy;  and  we  have  no  instance  in  later  times  of 
any  thing  bearing  any  analogy  to  the  singular  condition 


7  What  in  reply  to  him  does  Mr.  B.  mention  of  Porphyry! — 8  What 
comparison  is  made  between  Porphyry  and  Celsus'! — 9  Besides  those  re¬ 
lating  to  our  Lord,  what  other  prophecies  are  adduced  in  defence  of  the 
scriptures'! — 10  What  is  said  of  the  scripture  denunciations  upon  the 
Jews,  and  of  their  singular  condition! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


223 


in  which  the  Jews  have  been  placed.  Human  foresight 
could  not  have  predicted  the  event:  human  policy  could 
not  have  fulfilled  the  prophecy. 

Maria.  I  believe  the  condition  of  the  Jews,  scattered 
among  all  nations,  has  always  been  regarded  as  one  of 
the  greatest  difficulties  connected  with  scepticism. 

Mr.  B.  The  prophecies  relative  to  the  Christian 
church  are  only  in  part  accomplished,  and  therefore  we 
can  only  partially  argue  from  them.  There  are,  howev¬ 
er,  some  so  decided,  that  it  is  not  easy  to  escape  the 
conclusion  as  to  the  divine  origin  of  the  writings  in  which 
they  are  found.  “Now  the  Spirit  speaketh  expressly, 
that  in  the  latter  times  some  shall  depart  from  the  faith, 
giving  heed  to  seducing  spirits,  and  doctrines  of  devils; 
speaking  lies  in  hypocrisy;  having  their  conscience  sear¬ 
ed  with  a  hot  iron;  forbidding  to  marry,  and  command¬ 
ing  to  abstain  from  meats,  which  God  hath  created  to  be 
received  with  thanksgiving  of  them  which  believe  and 
know  the  truth.” — 1  Tim.  iv.  1 — 3. 

Edward.  No  one,  I  think,  can  doubt  the  accomplish¬ 
ment  of  this  prophecy  who  is  not  personally  interested 
in  denying  its  application. 

Mr.  B.  Equally  certain  are  the  prophecies  relative  to 
the  destruction  of  cities  of  the  East;  for  though  it  might 
be  that  a  person  should  be  able  to  foresee  the  temporary 
ruin  of  a  place,  yet  it  i-s  beyond  all  calculation  of  chances 
that  he  should  foretell  the  precise  nature  of  their  de¬ 
struction,  and  especially  point  out  the  cases  where  no 
restoration  should  take  place.  That  Nineveh,  Babylon, 
and  Tyre,  once  attracted  the  attention  of  the  world  as  its 
first  cities,  is  as  certain  as  any  historical  fact  can  be; 
that  the  predictions  of  their  letter  and  continued  desolation 
were  made  at  a  time  when  they  thus  existed  in  splendour, 
is  not  less  so;  and  that  they  have  been,  and  to  this  day 
are,  totally  ruined,  is  a  well-known  fact. 

Maria.  It  appears  altogether  beyond  human  foresight 
to  predict  events  like  these. 

11  How  does  Maria  remark  on  the  condition  of  the  Jews'? — 12  Are  all 
the  prophecies  relating  to  the  Christian  church  accomplished? — 13  What 
very  striking  one  is  quoted  from  St.  Paul? — 14  What  is  said  of  the  proph¬ 
ecies  relating  to  the  destruction  of  cities  in  the  East? 


224 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


Edward.  And  certainly  no  human  power  could  secure 
the  accomplishment  of  such  prophecies. 

Mr.  B.  If  then,  in  cases  like  these,  we  have  positive 
proof  of  (he  fulfilment  of  prophecy,  it  cannot  be  rational 
to  reject  the  testimony  of  history,  when  it  records  the 
fulfilment  of  other  events,  where  we  can  have  no  other 
proof  than  that  which  history  affords.  In  this  also  we 
do  not  ask  the  testimony  of  friends,  but  of  enemies:  let 
the  Pagan  and  Jewish  historians  give  their  own  accounts; 
we  need  nothing  more.  The  prophecy  and  the  history, 
simply  placed  side  by  side,  will  furnish  a  proof  which 
none  of  our  adversaries  can  gainsay,  much  as  they  may 
wish  to  resist  the  conclusions  to  which  it  leads.  The 
only  wav  of  escape  for  the  infidel  is  to  discard  the  testi¬ 
mony  of  all  history,  and,  for  consistency’s  sake,  he  might 
as  well  discard  the  testimony  of  his  senses  also. 

Edward.  The  proof  afforded  by  the  accomplishment 
of  prophecy  seems  in  some  respects  also  independent  of 
the  rest  of  the  arguments  that  may  be  adduced  in  favour 
of  Christianity;  for  if  we  knew  nothing  of  the  author  of 
the  Pentateuch,  we  must  conclude,  from  the  fulfilment 
of  its  prophecies,  that  it  was  of  divine  authority. 

Maria.  And  in  that  case  our  principal  anxiety  would 
be  to  ascertain  its  being  free  from  any  corruption  of  the 
original  text. 

Mr.  B.  In  such  an  important  question  it  would  not, 
however,  be  safe  to  decide  on  the  fulfilment  of  only  one 
prediction,  unless  that  fulfilment  involved  a  super-human 
agency;  but  you  have  now  seen  that  it  is  neither  upon 
one  prophecy,  nor  upon  one  species  of  predictions,  nor 
upon  one  prophet  alone,  .that  we  rest  our  conclusions. 
The  prophecies  were  delivered  in  a  succession  of  ages, 
by  persons  who  had  no  connexion  with  each  other,  who 
do  not  appear  always  to  have  been  aware  of  the  extent 
of  their  own  predictions.  Of  a  great  number  we  can 

15  What  are  the  remarks  of  Maria  and  Edward  on  these  prophecies'? — 
16  What  are  the  remarks  of  Mr.  B.  upon  them? — 17  What  is  the  only 
way  in  which  he  says  the  infidel  can  escape  the  conclusion  of  the  argu¬ 
ment? — 1^  What  does  Edward  then  say  of  the  accomplishment  of  proph¬ 
ecy? — 19  In  what  does  Mr.  B.  say  it  would  be  safe  to  decide? — 20  What 
does  he  say  of  the  prophecies  in  a  chronological  and  numerical  point  of  view? 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  225 

positively  prove  the  fulfilment;  of  many  others  every 
probability  lies  on  the  same  side;  and  in  no  case  can  we 
ascertain  the  failure  of  any  of  these.  For  that  some  are 
yet  unfulfilled  is  no  argument  against  them,  since  the 
time  for  their  fulfilment  is  not  limited;  and  in  those  pre¬ 
dictions  where  the  time  was  limited  we  know  the  proph¬ 
ecy  was  fulfilled. 

Edivard.  If  you  do  not  regard  the  obscurity  supposed 
by  some  to  exist  on  this  subject  as  real,  to  what  would 
you  impute  the  difficulties  connected  with  it? 

Mr.  B.  I  would  by  no  means  deny  that  some  degree 
of  obscurity  does  exist  in  the  prophecies  themselves: 
there  appears  no  reason  to  doubt  that  some  were  made 
designedly  obscure,  i.  e.  so  far  that  they  should  only  be 
understood  from  the  fulfilment;  and  for  this  obscurity,  in 
some  cases,  we  may  perceive  good  reason.  Thus,  if  the 
abrogation  of  the  Mosaic  law  had  been  more  clearly  and 
fully  predicted,  it  would  have  been  impossible  to  have 
pres-  rved  a  due  respect  for  it  till  the  time  arrived  for  its 
abrogation. 

Maria.  This  accounts  for  a  designed  obscurity  in  the 
j prediction  itself,  but  does  not  abcount  for  the  obscurity 
which  has  attended  the  fulfilment  in  some  cases. 

Mr.  B.  We  have  no  reason  to  complain  if  the  lapse  o  ■ 
time  has  in  some  measure  thrown  an  obscurity  over  the 
fulfilment  of  prophecy,  which  did  not  exist  at  the  time  of 
the  fulfilment.  This  is  only  an  evil  incident  to  the  very 
nature  of  the  subject,  which  it  would  require  a  miracle 
to  counteract.  As  to  any  obscurity  arising  in  the  appli¬ 
cation  of  prophecies  to  particular  events,  I  believe  it 
springs  principally  from  our  ignorance  of  the  language 
in  which  the  predictions  are  recorded,  and  of  the  partic¬ 
ulars  of  the  events  in  which  they  were  fulfilled.  Much 
of  the  difficulty  connected  with  this  subject  also  arises 
from  an  improper  mode  of  studying  the  subject. 

Maria.  The  subject  certainly  should  not  be  made  an- 


21  What  question  is  asked  by  Edward  as  to  the  supposed  obscurity  of 
prophecy? — 22  How  does*Mr.  B.  reply  to  him? — 23  For  what  does  Maria 
say  that  this  will  account? — 24  Of  what  does  Mr.  B.  say  that  we  have  no 
reason  to  complain? — 25  From  what  does  he  presume  that  much  of  our 
difficulty  iu  this  subject  arises? 


226 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


swerable  for  difficulties,  raised  by  our  faults  or  deficien¬ 
cies;  but  how  ought  it  to  be  studied? 

Mr.  B.  It  can  only  be  properly  studied  by  a  reference 
to  its  own  intimations  on  this  subject.  It  must  only  be 
judged  of  with  reference  to  its  own  pretensions.  If  the 
prophetical  parts  of  Scripture  had  been  designed  to  de- 
velope  the  whole  train  of  human  events  in  regular  order, 
we  might  have  just  grounds  of  objection;  but  we  find  its 
language  of  a  very  different  nature,  and  by  that  we  must 
abide.  “  The  spirit  of  prophecy  is  the  testimony  of  Jesus,” 
says  the  angel  in  the  Apocalypse;  a  text  which  throws 
great  light  upon  the  object  of  prophecy,  and  furnishes  a 
satisfactory  reply  to  those  who  object  to  the  limited  na¬ 
ture  of  prophecy. 

Edward.  In  some  cases,  however,  this  is  not  the  case, 
as  in  the  predictions  of  the  rise  and  fall  of  kingdoms. 

Mr.  B.  If  you  attend  to  the  words  of  the  text,  you  will 
see  that  it  is  correct.  You  cannot  limit  it  to  the  mere 
life  and  death  of  our  Lord:  all  the  events  which  in  pre¬ 
ceding  affected  the  circumstances  of  his  birth,  which 
were  connected  with  his  life,  or  which  were  consequent 
upon  his  death;  all  the 'changes  of  empires  which  were 
more  immediately  influential  upon  either  the  Jewish  or 
the  Christian  church,  certainly  fall  justly  within  its  prov¬ 
ince.  More  than  this  you  will  hardly  find  unaccompanied 
by  evident  and  striking  reasons  for  insertion,  either  in 
the  prediction  itself,  or  the  peculiar  circumstances  of  the 
nation  to  whom  it  was  addressed. 

Edward.  Still  we  might  have  expected  greater  order 
in  the  delivery  of  prophecy. 

Mr.  B.  If  the  delivery  of  prophecy  had  been  merely 
the  selection  of  certain  events  by  the  prophets,  and  all 
the  future,  or  all  parts  of  it  relative  to  the  testimony  re¬ 
specting  Jesus,  had  been  known  to  them,  you  might  have 
made  this  supposition;  but  St.  Peter  informs  us,  that 
“The  prophecy  came  not  in  old  time  by  the  will  of  man, 


26  In  what  manner  does  he  say  it  should  be  studied  and  judged  oft — 
27'  What  exception  does  Edward  here  make! — 28  How  does  Mr.  B.  reply 
to  this  exception! — 29  Under  what  circumstances  might  greater  order  in 
the  delivery  of  prophecy  have  been  expected! — 30  Of  what  are  we  inform¬ 
ed  by  St.  Peter! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


227 


but  holy  men  of  God  spake  as  they  were  moved  by  the 
Holy  Ghost.” — 2  Pet.  i.  21. 

It  is  folly  for  us  to  argue  against  the  manner  or  the 
order  in  which  the  prophecies  were  delivered,  since  we 
have  no  rule  by  which  to  direct  our  judgment;  and  all 
reasonings  from  our  own  partial  knowledge  or  views  of 
fitness,  when  applied  to  a  subject  of  this  nature,  which 
must  be  regulated  by  infinite  knowledge,  are  absurd. 

Maria.  But  the  prophecies  are  not  so  totally  destitute 
of  regularity  in  some  respects.  In  those  which  relate 
especially  to  our  Lord  there  is  some  order  preserved, 
for  they  proceed  from  general  intimations  to  more  de¬ 
tailed  predictions. 

Edward.  Does  not  this,  however,  show  more  of  arti¬ 
fice  than  any  thing  else  ?  Why  should  not  the  earlier 
prophets  have  declared  all  particulars  as  explicitly  as 
those  of  later  date  ? 

Mr.  B.  I  do  not  profess  to  answer  all  your  whys  and 
wherefores,  as  we  did  not  take  this  subject  for  the  sake 
of  showing  how  ingeniously  we  might  argue  for  and 
against  it.  Your  present  objection  can  only  have  weight 
where  it  might  be  inferred,  that  proximity  in  time  would 
enable  a  person  to  see  more  clearly  the  probabilities  of 
future  events.  In  the  case  of  the  predictions  of  Scrip¬ 
ture,  the  latest  prophet,  Malachi,  could  have  no  advan¬ 
tages  over  his  brethren,  as  to  the  prophecies  which  he 
delivered.  The  events  were  as  improbable  and  as  un¬ 
foreseen  at  a  distance  of  four  hundred  years  as  four 
thousand. 

Maria.  But  cannot  some  reason  be  assigned  for  this 
progression  in  the  information  given  by  prophecy  ? 

Mr.  B.  There  can.  It  would  have  been  absurd  for 
Moses  to  have  prophesied  of  our  Lord’s  coming-  to  the 
second  Temple,  when  neither  the  first  nor  the  second 
had  existed.  What  interest  would  such  a  prophecy  have 
had  to  the  Israelites  in  the  wilderness  ?  What  influence 


31  What  is  said  by  Mr.  B.  to  be  folly  and  absurd  in  us! — 32  How  does 
Maria  speak  of  the  order  of  the  prophecies'? — 33  Edward  asks  why  the 
earlier  prophets  did  not  declare  all  particulars  as  explicitly  as  did  those 
of  a  later  date — what  is  the  answer  to  this? — 34  What  inquiry  is  made 
by  Maria  as  to  the  progression? — 35  What  answer  is  given  her  by  Mr.  B.? 


228 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


would  it  have  on  their  conduct  ?  The  propnecy  when 
addressed  by  Malachi  to  the  desponding  Jews,  who 
mourned  the  inferiority  of  the  second  Temple  to  the 
first,  had  the  greatest  force.  It  was  sufficient  to  our 
first  parents  to  know  that  a  Saviour  should  arise;  it  was 
peculiarly  encouraging  to  Abraham  to  know  that  the 
Saviour  was  fo  arise  from  him;  but  reverse  these,  and 
you  altogether  destroy  their  effect,  as  first  delivered. 

Maria.  In  considering  the  subjects  of  the  prophecies, 
delivered  at  various  times,  there  must  then  be  a  refer¬ 
ence  to  those  to  whom  they  were  addressed  ? 

Mr.  B.  Unquestionably:  for  the  prophecies  were  not 
delivered  to  be  shut  up  from  the  public  eye,  as  the  books 
of  the  Sibyl  were  at  Rome:  they  were  given  for  the 
comfort,  the  encouragement,  and  admonishing  of  the 
people;  they  are  connected  with  the  most  solemn  en¬ 
treaties  to  repentance,  faith,  or  holiness  of  life;  and 
were  adapted  to  the  peculiar  characters  of  those  whom 
they  addressed,  or  the  circumstances  in  which  they  were 
placed. 

Edxoard.  Are  we,  then,  to  examine  the  predictions  of 
each  prophet  separately  from  those  of  the  rest  ? 

Mr.  B.  By  no  means:  we  may  so  far  examine  and 
compare  the  words  of  each  as  to  fix  in  what  sense  he 
used  them;  but  we  must  on  no  account  be  contented 
with  this;  for  it  is  directly  opposed  to  the  admonition 
which  precedes  the  passage  I  quoted  from  St.  Peter — 
“  Knowing  that  no  prophecy  is  of  any  private  interpre¬ 
tation.”  If  the  Scriptures  had  proceeded  from  various 
individuals  without  divine  agency,  we  ought  to  have  re¬ 
spect  principally  to  the  ideas  of  each  independently  of 
the  rest;  but  when  we  are  assured  that  they  were  alike 
the  agents  of  the  one  and  the  same  Holy  Spirit  in  this 
matter,  we  must  ascertain  the  meaning  of  the  divine 
Author  by  a  reference  to  the  ivhole  of  his  works. 

Edward.  It  is  not,  however,  conceived,  I  believe, 


36  Was  it  necessary,  that  in  giving  the  prophecies,  there  should  be  a 
reference  to  those  to  whom  they  were  addiessed'? — 37  Why  was  it  neces¬ 
sary1? — 38  Are  we  then  to  examine  the  predictions  of  each  prophet  sep¬ 
arately  from  those  of  the  rest? — 39  How  are  we  to  examine  them1!— 4ft 
How  are  we  to  ascertain  the  meaning  of  the  divine  author1? 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY.  229 

that  the  Holy  Spirit  so  influenced  the  prophets  as  to  de¬ 
prive  them  of  their  ordinary  faculties,  or  supersede  their 
natural  abilities. 

Mr.  B.  If  this  had  been  the  case,  the  evidence  for 
the  Scriptures  would  have  been  materially  weakened. 
We  should  have  lost  all  power  of  arguing  from  them  as 
independent  witnesses,  where  historical  records  failed. 
All  that  is  implied  in  this  divine  agency  on  the  mind, 
only  affects  the  facts  of  what  were  delivered.  The  im¬ 
pression  of  these  was  imprinted  upon  the  mind  with  the 
greatest  certainty,  but  each  communicated  that  im¬ 
pression  to  others  by  the  natural  means  peculiar  to  him¬ 
self.  The  difference  of  style  in  Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  and 
Ezekiel,  mark  these  prophets  clearly  as  distinct  men: 
but  the  sameness  of  the  subject' (taking  the  word  in  an 
extended  sense)  as  clearly  decides  the  sameness  of  the 
Spirit  which  revealed  the  future  to  all. 

Maria.  There  is,  however,  in  all  a  very  high  style  of 
language,  and  extraordinary  greatness  of  thought. 

Mr.  B.  This  most  probably  is  owing  to  the  grandeur 
of  the  subjects  on  which  they  treated,  and  the  impression 
necessarily  made  upon  their  minds  by  the  very  nature 
of  heavenly  communications.  They  to  whom  the  al¬ 
mighty  Creator  and  Governor  of  all  things  revealed  his 
will,  could  not  write  of  him  so  unworthily  as  others,  not 
blessed  with  similar  communications,  would  be  liable  to  do. 

Edward.  From  what  has  been  said,  it  would  appear 
that  we  may  regard  the  prophecies  in  two  ways,  either 
with  reference  to  those  in  whose  time  they  were  deliv¬ 
ered,  or  with  respect  to  those  in  whose  time  they  were 
to  be  fulfilled. 

Mr.  B.  And  even  beyond  this  it  may  occasionally  be 
useful  to  review  them  as  affecting  all  who  lived  after  the 
time  of  their  delivery,  and  before  their  fulfilment,  and  as 
affecting  all  who  lived  after  the  last-mentioned  period. 


41  Were  the  prophets  so  influenced  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  to  have  been 
deprived  of  the  use  of  their  ordinary  faculties’ — 42  How  were  they  influ¬ 
enced! — 43  How  is  this  illustrated  by  reference  to  Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  and 
Ezekiel! — 44  To  what  is  to  be  ascribed  the  elevated  style  of  language  in 
all  the  prophets! — 45  What  are  the  two  ways  in  which  Edward  says  the 
prophecies  may  be  regarded! — 46  Beyond  this,  what  may  be  useful! 

20 


230 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


The  two  classes  you  mentioned  are  indeed  those  to  whom 
they  were  more  directly  addressed;  but  it  appears  clear 
that  they  were  intended  also  for  the  use  of  the  other  two, 
very  nearly  if  not  altogether,  to  as  great  an  extent.  It 
is  not  merely  in  the  very  words  of  the  prediction  itself 
that  we  perceive  the  spirit  of  prophecy;  in  the  very  fact 
of  its  being  given  at  all,  we  may  sometimes  trace  the 
divine  Mind,  foreseeing  what  would  be  necessary  for  the 
comfort  and  support  of  his  people  in  after  times,  when 
the  prophet  slumbered  in  the  dust.  This  also  became  in 
some  measure  necessary,  in  consequence  of  limits  hav¬ 
ing  been  put  to  the  duration  of  their  heavenly  communi¬ 
cations.  Several  of  the  admonitions  and  cautions  of  the 
apostles  seem  decidedly  of  a  prospective  nature;  and  in 
other  cases,  where  some  ground  for  express  precepts 
may  have  existed,  it  is  by  no  means  improbable  that  they 
were  given  more  with  reference  to  the  future  than  the 
present  need  of  the  church. 

Maria.  This  also  ought  to  be  the  character  of  a  reve¬ 
lation  of  this  nature,  that  it  should  foresee  and  provide 
for  contingencies. 

Edward.  It  is  from  the  want  of  this  knowledge,  among 
other  things,  that  we  infer  the  falsity  of  Mahometanism; 
for  the  proof  depended  upon  continued  success,  and  suc¬ 
cess  involved  the  impossibility  of  the  observance  of  some 
of  its  precepts. 

Maria.  Yet  if  that  had  not  been  the  case,  we  could 
not  have  inferred  the  truth  of  the  religion,  since  human 
foresight,  unaided  by  divine  inspiration,  could  have 
guarded  against  such  a  conclusion. 

Mr.  B.  But  human  foresight  alone  could  not  have 
suggested  the  predictions  of  St.  Paul,  in  his  Second 
Epistle  to  the  Thessalonians;  and  the  precepts  in  that 
to  the  Colossians  appear  of  a  nature  so  interesting  to  the 
universal  church  in  after  ages,  that  it  is  not  unreason¬ 
able  to  suppose  St.  Paul  must  have  foreseen  the  univer- 


47  How  are  we  able  to  perceive  the  spirit  of  prophecy1? — 48  What  is 
said  of  several  of  the  admonitions  and  cautions  of  the  apostles'? — 49  How 
do  we  infer  the  falsity  of  Mahometanism'? — 50  What  is  said  of  the  pre¬ 
dictions  of  St.  Paul,  in  his  second  epistle  to  the  Thessalonians — also  of  his 
precepts  to  the  Colossians'? 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  231 

sal  circulation  of  that  Epistle,  and  had  respect  to  the 
errors  of  much  larger  bodies  of  professing  Christians 
than  were  likely  at  that  time  to  disturb  the  little  commu¬ 
nity  at  Colosse.  It  is  also  important  to  observe,  that 
the  predictions  which  relate  to  future  corruptions  in  the 
church,  and  the  precepts  which  appear  to  have  reference 
to  them,  could  never  be  the  occasion  of  their  own  ful¬ 
filment.  No  one  would  willingly  take  upon  himself  the 
apostolic  anathema;  no  body  of  men  could  desire  to 
render  themselves  liable  to  it,  or  so  act  as  to  compel 
others  to  fulfil  predictions  of  so  fatal  a  pature. 

Edward.  Are  not  many  of  the  prophecies  supposed  to 
have  double  fulfilments? 

Mr.  B.  The  existence  of  a  secondary  fulfilment  of 
prophecy  is  a  point  of  great  difficulty  to  decide  with 
certainty.  That  two  events  may  possibly  fulfil  the  same 
prediction  (particularly  if  couched  in  general  terms) 
may  be  granted ;  but  that  it  was  intended  that  both  should 
fulfil  it,  can  only  be  established  by  strong  evidence;  and 
though  mr.ny  circumstances  may  render  this  probable,  I 
am  not  aware  of  such  evidence  having  actually  been 
adduced.  In  some  cases  it  is  also  not  improbable,  that 
the  writers  of  the  New  Testament  quoted  the  words  of  a 
prophecy,  which  was  known  to  have  been  fulfilled  at  an 
earlier  period,  only  as  an  illustration  of  a  later  event,  as 
they  appear  occasionally  to  use  other  parts  of  the  sacred 
writings  in  a  similar  way.  In  so  doing,  they  could  not 
be  misunderstood  by  those  to  whom  they  wrote;  and  we 
must  not  therefore  hastily  deem  them  “  inconclusive  rea- 
soners”  for  adopting  the  method  of  argument  most  popu¬ 
lar  with  those  whom  they  thus  addressed. 

Maria.  No  conclusive  argument,  then,  can  be  drawn 
from  their  quotations  of  this  nature  in  favour  of  the  dou¬ 
ble  sense  ? 

Mr.  B.  I  think  not;  but  upon  this  point  I  would  speak 
with  diffidence.  The  consideration  of  it  is  not  essential 


51  What  is  important  to  be  observed  in  relation  to  these  predictions'? — 
52  What  does  Mr.  B.  say  of  a  secondary  fulfilment  to  prophecy? — 53  How 
is  it  not  improbable  that  the  writers  of  the  New  Testament,  in  some  cases, 
quoted  the  words  of  a  prophecy? — 54  How  does  Mr.  B.  think  that  we 
should  speak  of  this  mode  of  reasoning  by  the  sacred  writers? 


232 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


to  the  argument  as  to  the  truth  of  Christianity;  and  as 
such,  I  shall  only  refer  you  to  the  works  of  Warburton 
and  Marsh, — the  former  in  defence  of  the  secondary 
sense,  and  the  latter  against  it.  “For,  let  the  result 
of  an  inquiry  into  secondary  senses  be  what  it  will,  the 
prophecies  which  testify  of  Christ,  according  to  their 
primary  sense,  are  sufficiently  numerous  to  supply  us 
with  arguments  for  the  truth  of  our  religion.” — Marsh's 
Lectures,  xxii.  p.  61. 

Having  mentioned  the  name  of  Warburton,  it  would 
be  very  negligent  in  me  were  I  not  to  press  upon  you, 
if  your  minds  are  in  any  respect  unsatisfied  as  to  the 
subject,  by  no  means  to  omit  the  perusal  of  the  sermons 
preached  at  the  lecture  founded  by  that  great  scholar 
expressly  for  this  subject.  Perhaps  few  institutions  have 
been  more  fortunate  in  a  succession  of  able  men;  and 
you  will  find  in  their  works  not  less  learning  than  strong 
argument  blended  with  piety. 

Edward.  There  have  been  a  great  number  of  publi¬ 
cations  on  the  book  of  Revelation;  but  I  believe  there 
is  little  agreement.  Do  you  consider  this  as  a  serious 
objection  ? 

Mr.  B.  It  has  been  considered  by  Michaelis  as  an 
objection  against  the  book  itself ;  but  if  you  read  his 
remarks  upon  it,  you  should  also  examine  the  arguments 
of  Dr.  Woodhouse  in  its  defence.  It  is  not  at  all  sur¬ 
prising  that  difference  of  opinion  'should  exist  upon  this 
subject,  when  the  figurative  language  in  which  it  is 
couched,  together  with  great  part  of  it  being  yet  unful¬ 
filled,  is  duly  considered.  It  is  confessedly  the  most 
difficult  portion  of  the  prophetical  records,  and  has  had 
in  consequence  the  greatest  number  of  commentators. 
That  out  of  so  many,  much  nonsense  should  have  been 
produced,  is  not  at  all  surprising  to  any  who  remember, 
that 

“  Fools  rush  in,  where  angels  fear  to  tread:” 


55  What  is  said  of  it  by  Marsh t — 56  What  does  Mr.  B.  say  of  Marsh’s 
sermons  on  this  subject'! — 5.7  W.hat  writer  is  named,  who  objects  to  the 
book  of  Revelation  on  the  grounds  here  mentioned1? — 58  What  author  is 
also  recommended  as  having  written  in  its  defence'? — 59  What  confession 
is  made  among  commentators  respecting  this  book? 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHJRLSTUNITV. 


233 

but  it  would  be  no  great  proof  of  wisdom  on  that  ac¬ 
count  to  discard  from  consideration  the  works  of  sober 
and  learned  men,  more  anxious  to  follow  the  guidance 
of  Scripture,  than  to  claim  an  office  not  much  lower 
than  that  of  the  prophet  himself,  as  some  have  done,  in 
expanding  obscure  intimations  into  detailed  predictions 
of  events  yet  in  the  womb  of  time. 

Edward.  The  Apocalypse  carries  on  the  declarations 
of  prophecy  to  the  end  of  the  world;  so  that  we  have 
now  a  complete  chain  of  evidence  of  this  nature,  from 
the  fall  of  man  to  his  final  judgment.  It  surely  is  a 
strong  argument  for  Christianity,  that  not  one  link  of 
this  chain  should  have  been  broken. 

Maria.  When  I  consider  the  chances  that  must  have 
happened  in  every  age,  the  number  of  particulars  in 
which  it  was  exposed  to  danger,  and  the  number  of 
enemies  who  would  gladly  have  detected  a  failure,  it 
appears  to  me  that  a  special  providence  has  watched 
over  it. 

Mr.  B.  I  feel  confident,  that  the  more  you  examine 
this  subject,  the  firmer  will  be  your  conviction  upon  it. 
I  have  generally  observed  that  those  who  have  had  the 
least  confidence  in  it,  argued  from  theory  rather  than 
examination.  Now  there  are  few  subjects  in  which  the¬ 
ory,  unaccompanied  by  examination,  is  more  apt  to  mis¬ 
lead;  and  it  never  surprises  me,  therefore,  to  find  such 
persons  speaking  of  it  as  unsatisfactory.  It  is  very  much 
to  be  wished,  that  those  who  doubt  upon  the  subject 
should  seriously  account  for  the  facts  of  the  case,  go  into 
the  detail,  and  trace  up  the  phenomena  to  some  other 
cause,  if  they  have  not  a  divine  origin.  When  the  prob¬ 
abilities  come  to  be  compared  between  the  believer’s 
account  and  that  of  the  sceptic,  I  have  no  doubt  the  lat¬ 
ter  would  not  be  very  ambitious  to  transmit  them  to  pos¬ 
terity  side  by  side. 


60  What  does  Mr.  B.  say  is  not  surprising  in  relation  to  it,  and  would 
be  in  us  no  proof  of  wisdom'! — 61  How  far  are  carried  forward  the  declar¬ 
ations  in  the  apocalypse! — 62  Of  what  does  Mr.  B.  feel  very  confident”! — 
63  What  does  he  say,  in  the  conclusion  of  the  conversation,  as  much  to 
fee  desired 1 


20* 


234 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


CONVERSATION  XVI. 

Mr.  B.  In  the  evidence  of  miracles  and  prophecy,  we 
have  such  strong  attestations  to  the  truth  of  Christianity, 
that  it  perhaps  is  not  easy  to  add  any  thing  which  shall 
not  appear  weak  in  comparison;  but  there  are  yet  some 
considerations  of  great  importance,  as  confirming  their 
evidence,  and  as  affording  additional  reason  to  believe, 
“ ive  have  not  folloived  cunningly  devised  fables.”  That 
which  I  shall  now  bring  before  you  is  the  evidence  af¬ 
forded  that  Christianity  is  the  one  dispensation  for  which 
all  others  were  preparatory,  and  which  shall  last  to  the 
end  of  time.  • 

Edward.  That  this  may  be  the  case  is  exceedingly 
probable  from  what  we  have  already  seen;  but  it  will 
greatly  strengthen  my  conviction  if  established,  as  over¬ 
throwing  the  infidel  objection  that  a  revelation  should  be 
for  all  ages. 

Mr.  B.  That  the  Bible  clearly  states  the  dependence 
of  each  dispensation  of  Divine  Providence  upon  that 
which  preceded  it,  must  be  admitted  by  every  one  who 
reads  it;  and  he  who  does  not  read  it  can  have  no  claim 
for  an  answer  to  an  objection  founded  upon  wilful  igno¬ 
rance.  It  may,  however,  be  useful  to  recall  to  your 
minds  some  of  the  leading  facts. 

Of  the  first  dispensation  under  which  man  was  placed 
we  know  little;  nor  is  it  of  importance  to  the  proof  of  the 
truth  of  Christianity  that  we  should  know  more,  since  the 
necessity  for  that  revelation  only  arose  from  the  abrupt 
termination  of  the  happiness  of  our  first  parents  in  Para¬ 
dise,  by  the  fall. 

From  the  fall  to  the  time  of  Abraham,  we  find  no  es¬ 
pecial  provision  made  for  the  securing  the  continuance 
of  religion  upon  the  earth,  beyond  the  occasional  exer¬ 
tions  of  some  zealous  servants  of  God.  Man  appears  to 
have  been  left  in  a  great  measure  to  develope  his  own 

1  What  does  Mr.  B.  say  it  is  not  easy  to  dot — 2  But  what  does  he  now 
propose  doing? — 3  What  does  the  Bible  clearly  state1? — 4  What  does  he 
say  of  the  knowledge  we  possess  of  the  first  dispensation1? — 5  What  were 
the  provisions  for  religion  from  the  fall  to  the  time  of  Abraham1? 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  235 

powers  and  dispositions  during  a  period  of  about  one 
third  the  whole  time  that  has  elapsed  since  the  fall. 

Maria.  The  consequence  we  know  was  most  fatal  to 
the  interests  of  mankind,  as  well  as  of  religion;  for  the 
“whole  earth  was  full  of  violence,  and  the  imaginations 
of  the  heart  of  man  were  only  evil,  and  that  continually.” 

Mr.  B.  That  this  statement  is  correct,  all  the  light 
which  remote  antiquity  can  afford  seems  to  testify ;  the 
general  tradition  appearing  to  have  been,  that  man  dete¬ 
riorated  from  bad  to  worse.  The  general  experience  of 
mankind  seems  to  testify  that  man  is  unable  to  live  in 
society  without  religion.  When  the  worship  of  the  true 
God  was  lost,  it  therefore  became  necessary  to  supply 
its  place.  We  have  not  time  to  enter  into  an  inquiry  as 
to  the  origin  of  Pagan  idolatry ;  I  only  refer  to  it  now,  as 
affording  a  sufficient  reason  for  the  separation  of  Abra¬ 
ham  from  his  country.  Experience  had  already  shown 
to  the  world  (and  it  was  to  the  world  that  it  was  necessa¬ 
ry  this  fact  should  be  shown,)  that  the  tendency  of  man 
was  to  forsake  God.  If  the  patriarchal  dispensation  did 
not  prove  the  forbearance  of  God,  and  the  fallen  state  of 
man,  I  know  not  what  could  prove  them.  Those  who 
object  to  the  length  of  time  which  had  elapsed  before  our 
Lord’s  coming  into  the  world,  must  at  least  give  up  the 
objection  against  the  forbearance  of  God,  as  described  in 
the  Old  Testament.  We  know  from  the  history  of  the 
world  in  subsequent  periods,  what  could  be  effected  by 
man  when  advancing  from  a  state  of  barbarism,  and  cer¬ 
tainly  have  a  right  to  argue  from  the  ordinary  develop¬ 
ment  of  the  human  powers  in  society,  that  at  the  call  of 
Abraham  a  very  different  state  of  things  ought  to  have 
existed  from  that  which  in  fact  did  exist. 

Edward.  This  shows  that  the  call  of  Abraham  was  not 
premature,  but  that  full  time  had  been  given  as  a  state  of 
trial  in  this  dispensation. 

Mr.  B.  All  experience  proved  that  there  was  no  human 
probability  of  religion  being  preserved  without  express 

6  How  was  the  character  and  the  condition  of  man  affected  by  this 

want6 7! — 7  Why  was  Abraham  separated  from  his  country7? — 8  What  did 
the  patriarchal  dispensation  prove7? — 9  What  do  we  know  from  the  history 
of  the  world  in  subsequent  periods?— 10  What  does  all  experience  prove? 


236 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


revelation  and  a  new  dispensation :  these  were  according¬ 
ly  given.  I  would  now  ask,  what  conld  be  better  calcu¬ 
lated  to  secure  the  great  purposes  which  then  became 
more  fully  developed  in  prophecy,  than  the  situation  in 
which  Abraham  and  his  descendants  were  placed,  the 
life  they  were  required  to  lead,  and  the  promises  given 
unto  them? 

Maria.  But  even  among  them  there  was  no  small  ten¬ 
dency  to  imitate  the  evil  deeds  of  those  around  them. 

Mr.  B.  True,  and  mark  the  next  step.  By  a  series 
of  circumstances  in  which  the  finger  of  God  is  most  plain¬ 
ly  perceptible,  and  which  must  have  produced  a  strong 
impression  at  the  time  among  them,  we  find  them  fixed 
in  Egypt,  then  certainly  inferior  to  no  country  in  the 
world,  either  as  to  riches  or  advancement  in  arts  and 
sciences.  By  their  observance  of  the  worship  and  insti¬ 
tutes  of  God  they  continue  a  separate  people;  as  such 
they  excite  the  jealousy  of  the  king  and  nation — are  ex¬ 
posed  to  persecution — they  cry  for  help  to  the  God  of 
their  fathers,  and  are  delivered. 

Maria.  Up  to  the  moment  of  their  deliverance  our 
pity  is  certainly  excited  for  the  Israelites;  but  after  that 
we  look  upon  them  as  the  injurers  rather  than  the  injured. 

Mr.  B.  But  in  all  these  transactions  we  still  see  the 
agreement  of  the  providence  of  God  with  the  declarations 
of  his  word — we  see  a  marked  design  of  giving  the  na¬ 
tions  every  chance  for  repentance.  The  Israelites  went 
down  into  Egypt  with  all  the  advantages  that  the  suc¬ 
cessful  administration  of  Joseph  could  secure;  they  went 
down  too  few  in  number  to  alarm  the  people;  they  were 
regarded  as  the  conferers  of  benefits;  and  they  carried 
with  them  the  knowledge  of  the  one  true  God.  After  a 
residence  of  two  hundred  years,  we  find  no  impression 
made  upon  Egyptian  idolatry;  even  a  succession  of 
heavy  judgments  only  affecting  them  for  the  time  during 
which  they  were  operating:  and  the  very  earliest  ac- 


11  What  question  does  Mr.  B.  ask  respecting’  Abraham  and  his  de¬ 
scendants! — 12  What  is  said  of  their  being  planted  in  Egypt! — 13  What 
may  we  see  in  the  transactions  to  which  Maria  has  alluded! — 14  How  was 
the  religious  character  of  the  Egyptians  by  the  long  residence  of  the  Isra¬ 
elites  among  them! 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY. 


237 

counts  wo  have  of  this  country  from  Pagan  writers,  re¬ 
present  it  as  the  very  hotbed  of  the  most  monstrous  su¬ 
perstitions.  ' 

Edward.  And  if  this  was  the  first  of  nations,  what  must 
the  worst  have  been? 

Mr.  B.  To  this  degraded  state  had  the  world  then  sunk; 
from  this  it  had  to  be  rescued;  from  the  consequences 
also  of  guilt  like  this  was  salvation  requisite.  A  Sa¬ 
viour  had  been  promised;  but  how  could  he  appear  when 
the  world  was  in  such  a  state?  As  a  long  series  of  years 
had  been  granted  to  “  prove  what  was  in  man,”  a  consid¬ 
erable  time  was  necessary  to  prepare  the  world  for  the 
salvation  which  experience  had  shown  to  be  so  absolutely 
necessary.  The  salvation  to  be  effected  was  of  the  high¬ 
est  kind,  and  it  became  therefore  necessary  to  show  that 
it  was  such  by  corresponding  preparation. 

Maria.  And  that  preparation  was,  I  suppose,  afford¬ 
ed  in  the  Jewish  Theocracy,  and  the  dispensation  of  the 
law  of  Moses.  “  The  law  ivas  our  schoolmaster  to  bring 
us  to  Christ .” 

Mr.  B.  It  was  so;  and  when  you  next  read  the  Pen¬ 
tateuch,  mark  with  what  care  it  was  drawn  up  for  that 
purpose.  The  great  truths  of  natural  religion  were  now 
confirmed  and  strengthened;  a  definite  law  was  added, 
and  a  special  providence  connected  with  its  observance; 
a  better  covenant  intimated,  and  a  greater  prophet  than 
Moses  promised.  On  every  side  the  Israelite  saw  the 
hand  of  God  present:  the  divine  voice  was  ever  sound¬ 
ing  in  his  ears;  he  could  not  escape  from  the  knowledge 
of  God.  Yet  of  how  singular  a  nature  was  the  knowl¬ 
edge  thus  given — the  mercy  of  God  so  abundant,  his 
justice  so  rigid,  his  holiness  so  intense!  Again,  their 
connexion  with  him  was  no  less  singular;  the  highest 
blessings  and  most  terrible  curses  suspended  over  them; 
the  most  singular  injunctions,  with  promises  connected 


15  What  question  is  asked  respecting  the  moral  state  of  the  world  at 
this  timet — 16  How  does  Mr.  B.  reply  to  him'? — 17  In  what  manner  does 
Maria  suppose  that  the  preparation  for  the  gospel  dispensation  was  afford¬ 
ed? — 18  What  will  be  observed  from  an  attentive  examination  of  the  Pen¬ 
tateuch'? — 19  What  appears  wonderfully  singular  in  the  relation  of  this 
people  to  the  Supreme  Being! 


1 


238  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 

with  them  equally  strange;  commands  utterly  to  destroy 
the  wicked  inhabitants  of  Canaan,  with  the  fearful  warn¬ 
ing  that  the  same  doom  would  be  theirs,  if  they  followed 
their  example;  the  gift  of  a  kingdom,  with  the  incessant 
admonition  that  it  only  became  theirs  on  account  of  the 
wickedness  of  the  inhabitants,  and  not  for  any  merit  in 
themselves;  precepts  of  the  most  terrible  rigour  as  to 
their  conduct  towards  man,  with  others  of  the  most  ten¬ 
der  care,  even  for  animals;  and  yet  these  again  sacri¬ 
ficed  in  profusion  to  a  God  whose  tender  mercies  were 
over  all  his  works. 

Edward.  This  appears  a  strange  mixture. 

Mr.  B.  Yet,  taken  with  reference  only  to  itself,  it  was 
of  the  greatest  consequence  in  preparing  this  people  to 
become  the  depositories  of  the  will  of  God  till  the  prom¬ 
ised  Saviour  came,  and,  when  explained  by  the  New 
Testament,  furnishes  abundant  proof  of  “  the  manifold 
wisdom  of  God.” 

It  was  only  by  the  most  severe  judgments  that  this 
people  could  be  kept  in  the  service  of  God.  They  were 
taught,  first,  by  the  most  terrible  examples  of  the  ruin 
of  others,  and,  secondly,  by  their  own  sufferings,  the 
truth  and  certainty  of  the  commandments  of  God.  So 
far  as  common  life  was  concerned,  their  law  is  admira¬ 
ble  for  its  justice,  its  benevolence,  and  its  anxious  care 
for  the  welfare  of  each ;  but  all  was  to  give  place  to  this 
first  and  great  commandment, — “  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord 
thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  sold,  and  with 
all  thy  strength — and  it  was  only  where  this  was  ob¬ 
served,  that  the  second  followed,  which  however  was 
then  equally  to  be  obeyed, — “  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neigh - 
hour  as  thyself.”  It  is  not  easy  to  conceive  of  any  method 
likely  to  be  more  effectual  in  impressing  the  mind  with 
the  strictness  and  extent  of  the  commands  of  God,  and 
of  the  necessity  of  observing  them. 

Maria.  The  whole  character  of  the  Old  Testament 
has  always  struck  me  as  that  of  excessive  strictness. 

20  When  all  this  was  taken  in  reference  to  itself,  how  does  it  appear? 
— 21  How  only  could  this  people  be  kept  in  the  service  of  God? — 22  What 
is  said  of  their  law,  and  to  what  was  it  to  give  place? — 23  Of  what  de¬ 
gree  of  value  is  the  system  of  moral  instruction  in  the  gospel? 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY.  239 

Mr.  B.  That  the  establishment  of  the  Israelites  in  Ca¬ 
naan,  and  their  subsequent  preservation,  must  have  had 
a  most  powerful  effect  in  restoring  and  preserving  the 
knowledge  of  the  true  God,  cannot  be  doubted,  though 
we  are  not  able,  from  the  length  of  time  which  has  since 
elapsed,  to  ascertain  the  extent  to  which  this  was  carried. 
With  regard  to  other  nations,  we  find  their  knowledge  of 
the  divine  unity  generally  to  be  traced  to  the  vicinity  of 
this  nation;  and  where  we  inquire  among  nations  that 
decidedly  had  no  connexion  with  them,  we  find  nothing 
but  the  most  disgusting  superstitions. 

Edward.  These  circumstances  strongly  corroborate 
the  Scripture  statements,  and  equally  show  the  necessity 
of  securing  the  continuance  of  some  knowledge  of  God 
till  such  time  as  a  revelation  capable  of  universal  dissem¬ 
ination  could  be  established. 

Mr.  B.  We  must  now  turn  our  attention  to  some  things 
more  immediately  connected  with  that  revelation,  and 
without  which  no  reasonable  conjecture  can  be  formed 
for  their  institution.  Besides  the  moral  law,  we  have 
another,  the  Levitical  or  ceremonial  law,  containing  such 
an  immense  number  of  observances,  that  at  first  we  can 
hardly  fix  our  attention  even  on  the  more  prominent  parts, 
so  as  to  inquire  for  what  purpose  they  could  be  enjoined. 

Edward.  It  does  indeed  appear  strange,  that  in  the 
same  work  we  should  find  such  high  ideas  of  God  incul¬ 
cated,  with  such  trifling  regulations  for  his  worship,  and 
such  an  incessant  flow  of  blood  to  Him  who  was  the  Cre¬ 
ator  of  all. 

Mr.  B.  But  if  you  turn  to  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews, 
you  will  see  sufficient  reason  given  for  all  this:  you  there 
find  that  all  had  an  object;  that  all  was  designed  to  lead 
to  just  conclusions  on  the  nature  of  God,  the  situation  of 
man,  the  guilt  of  sin,  the  necessity  of  atonement,  of  a 
Mediator  betwixt  God  and  man,  of  purity  of  heart,  and 
devotion  to  God. 


24  What  are  the  remarks  of  Mr.  B.  on  the  establishment  of  the  Israel- 
ites  in  Canaan  1 — 25  What  does  Edward  say  of  the  circumstances  con¬ 
nected  with  that  establishment! — 26  To  what  does  Mr.  B.  now  propose 
to  turn  the  attention! — 27  What  appears  strange  to  Edward! — 28  What 
reasons  are  given  for  this  in  the  epistle  to  the  Hebrews'1 


240 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


Mana.  And  we  have  a  right  to  regard  the  explanation 
of  the  New  Testament  as  just,  from  the  performance  of 
the  miracles,  and  the  fulfilment  of  the  prophecies. 

Mr.  B.  Taken  separately  from  the  New  Testament, 
to  us,  living  at  this  period,  with  the  history  of  the  world 
before  us,  the  whole  would  become  absurd;  but  when  we 
view  it  only  as  the  type  of  a  better  dispensation  which 
was  to  follow,  its  insertion  becomes  highly  expedient,  if 
not  absolutely  necessary.  The  true  Israelite,  who  look¬ 
ed  beyond  the  types  and  shadows  of  ritual  observance  to 
the  great  sacrifice  hereafter  to  be  offered  for  sin,  would, 
though  thankful  for  the  light  thus  afforded  him,  rejoice 
that  the  time  approached  when  this'“  heavy  yoke”  would 
be  exchanged  for  the  liberty  with  which  the  Messias  would 
make  him  free. 

Maria.  This  closely  connects  the  two  Testaments  to¬ 
gether,  and  makes  them,  strictly  speaking,  only  parts  of 
one  revelation. 

Mr.  B.  Nor  is  this  all;  for  not  only  do  the  positive  or¬ 
dinances  of  God  appear  as  types  of  better  things  to  come, 
— even  some  historical  facts  must  be  admitted  in  a  simi¬ 
lar  manner.  The  deliverance  from  Egypt,  the  Passover, 
the  passage  through  the  Red  Sea,  the  wanderings  in  the 
wilderness,  the  rest  in  Canaan,  correspond  too  closely 
with  higher  things  in  the  Christian  dispensation,  for  us 
not  to  acknowledge  the  hand  of  Providence  as  prefigur¬ 
ing  in  these  greater  mercies. 

Maria.  They  form  a  kind  of  prophecy  in  actions,  as 
others  are  in  words. 

Mr.  B.  But  all  this  manifests  a  deliberate  course  of 
proceedings,  a  regular  plan  laid  down  and  acted  upon 
from  the  beginning,  and  that  which  explains  the  whole 
cannot  therefore  be  treated  as  if  it  were  a  thing  unheard 
of  before,  for  ages. 

Edward.  Yet  some  write  as  if  Christianity  appeared 
1800  years  ago,  wholly  without  expectation,  having  no 
foundation  in  any  thing  before. 

29  How  would  the  Levitical  law  appear  to  us  taken  separately  from  the 
New  Testament? — 30  What  is  said  of  the  true  Israelite'? — 31  What  his¬ 
torical  facts  are  named  as  possessing  a  typical  character'! — 32  What  does  ^ 
Mr.  B.  say  of  all  this! — 33  How  does  Edward  say  that  some  appear  to 
view  Christianity  1 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


241 

Mr.  B.  But  in  all  we  have  hitherto  considered,  we  find 
a  constant  reference  to  something  which  preceded  and 
something  which  followed.  If  in  Abraham  all  nations 
of  the  earth  were  to  be  blessed,  it  was  because  from  him 
should  spring  that  seed  of  the  woman  which  should  bruise 
the  serpent’s  head;  and  therefore  to  his  seed  should  the 
land  of  Canaan  be  given,  that  he  might  spring  there  from 
the  tribe  of  Judah. 

Thus  also  advancing  further,  we  find  every  thing  still 
arranged  with  reference  to  some  succeeding  revelation, 
as  well  as  that  which  preceded  it,  and  thereby  the  whole 
is  strictly  connected  together.'  In  every  stage  we  find 
the  same  efforts  to  impress  upon  the  minds  of  the  people 
the  necessity  for  the  salvation  hereafter  to  be  wrought, 
its  magnitude,  and  the  consequences  which  should  result 
from  it.  The  feelings  of  the  Jews,  as  a  nation,  were  inte¬ 
rested  by  the  promise,  that  from  them  the  Messias  should 
spring;  a  succession  of  heavy  judgments  at  length  had 
the  effect  of  eradicating  idolatry;  the  great  chages  in 
which  the  mightiest  empires  on  every  side  of  them  were 
overthrown,  were  so  over-ruled  by  Divine  Providence, 
that  they  remained  a  separate  people  in  their  own  land. 

Edward.  It  is  singular  that  the  ten  tribes  should  have 
been  utterly  ruined  when  carried  away  captive,  whilst 
the  rest  were  brought  back  to  their  own  country,  and 
were  enabled  to  rebuild  their  Temple,  and  observe  the 
Mosaical  law. 

Mr.  B.  The  history  of  the  East  during  that  period,  from 
the  light  thrown  upon  it  by  revelation,  becomes  more  in¬ 
teresting  and  important  than  we  otherwise  could  have 
imagined.  In  seeing  such  men  as  Nebuchadnezzar  and 
Cyrus,  whilst  overcrowing  empires,,  only  fulfilling  the 
designs  of  Providence,  we  are  led  to  form  correct  ideas 
of  the  nature  of  the  divine  government,  and  duly  to  ap¬ 
preciate  that  kingdom  which  the  Lord  was  about  to  set 
up,  and  for  which  all  these  were  but  preparatory. 

34  What  is  said  of  the  relation  in  which  Abraham  stood  to  the  nations 
of  the  earth'? — 35  In  advancing;  further,  what  do  we  find1? — 36  By  what 
means  were  the  Jews  to  continue  a  distinct  people  in  their  own  land! — 37 
What  is  considered  singular  by  Edward  relating  to  the  ten  tribes'? — 38 
What  is  said  of  the  history  of  the  East! — 39  What  is  stated  in  connexion 
with  the  names  of  Nebuchadnezzar  aii(i  Cyrus'? 

21 


242 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


Maria.  The  accomplishment  of  many  of  the  prophecies 
having  taken  place  during  these  times;  must  have  con¬ 
tributed  to  impress  the  minds  of  the  Israelites  with  a  due 
sense  of  the  divine  attributes,  and  of  the  necessity  of  im¬ 
plicit  obedience  to  the  will  of  God. 

Mr.  B.  And  hence  the  sneer  of  Gibbon  appears  as  weak 
as  it  is  malicious.  Without  fairly  meeting  the  question, 
he  insinuates,  that  there  is  little  reason  to  believe  in  the 
miracles  of  the  Old  Testament,  because  it  is  only  in  later 
times  that  the  Jews  have  been  free  from  idolatry.  But 
effects  cannot  take  place  before  their  causes  have  ope¬ 
rated  ;  and  who  that  considers  the  state  of  the  wor  d  in 
those  times,  the  “  mixed  multitude”^  that  came  out  of 
Egypt,  and  their  situation  in  Canaan,  can  be  surprised 
that  they  were  at  times  seduced  into  idolatry.  Like  all 
other  nations,  they  were  naturally  prone  to  idolatry;  all 
others  but  themselves  were  idolaters:  the  idea  of  nation¬ 
al  and  local  deities  was  at  that  time  universally  preva¬ 
lent.  They  had  true  miracles;  but  others  had  what  to 
many  must  have  appeared  true  miracles  also:  the  law 
of  God  ran  counter  to  the  spirit  of  the  people;  and  is  it 
then  to  be  wondered  at,  that  though  many  miracles 
wrought  among  them  proved  “the  Lord  to  be  God,”  an 
ignorant  people  should  not  immediately  perceive,  that 
there  was  only  this  one  God,  and  that  “  him  only  must 
they  serve,”  although  he  had  declared  it? 

Maria.  It  required  a  considerable  time  to  convince 
them  of  these  great  truths;  but  when  once  convinced, 
they  retained  them  most  firmly. 

Mr.  B.  There'  is  an  error  very  common  among  many 
modern  writers,  of  reasoning  upon  facts,  as  if  the  same 
light  and  knowledge  existed  formerly  which  does  at 
present;  of  taking  it  for  granted,  that,  in  the  earliest 
times,  whole  nations  would  draw  conclusions  as  soberly 
and  logically  as  they  may  do  in  their  closets.  But  ex¬ 
perience  must  decide;  and  I  do  not  think  it  would  be 


40  How  does  Maria  think  the  minds  of  the  Israelites  became  impressed 
with  a  sense  of  the  divine  attributes'? — 41  Of  Gibbon,  what  is  said? — 42 
What  comparison  is  made  between  the  Israelites  and  idolatrous  nations 
on  the  subject  of  religion? — 43  What  error  is  named  as  common  among 
modern  writers? — 44  What  does  Mr.  B.  think  might  be  easily  proved? 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  243 

necessary  to.  travel  out  of  our  own  times  for  abundant 
proofs  of  the  proneness  of  human  nature  to  lower  the 
divine  authority  and  the  demands  of  religion,  and  of  its 
willingness  to  take  the  most  inconclusive  evidence  in 
favour  of  what  agreed  with  its  wishes. 

Edward.  When  the  miracles  were  wrought  before  their 
eyes,  the  effect  upon  them  seems  fully  answerable  to  our 
expectations;  as  at  the  deliverance  from  Pharaoh  in  the 
Red  Sea:  when  Elijah  -called  down  fire  from  heaven,  the 
people  cried,  “  The  Lord  he  is  the  God,  the  Lord  he  is 
the  God.” 

Mr.  B.  The  evidence  afforded  by  a  special  providence 
was  necessarily  interrupted  when  the  Jews  ceased  to 
observe  the  commandments;  and  then  it  was  that  pro¬ 
phecy  became  more  abundant.  The  grand  question  at 
issue,  viz.  whether  the  God  of  the  Jews  was  the  only 
real  God,  was  put  upon  the  accomplishment  of  prophe¬ 
cies,  which  were  made  so  definite  and  detailed*  that  there 
was  no  escaping  from  some  conclusion,  for  or  against 
them.  Now  what  was  the  consequence  ? — nothing  less 
than  the  extirpation  of  idolatry  among  the  people.  Our 
conclusion,  therefore,  must  be,  that  the  people  saw  with 
their  own  eyes  the  prophecies  fulfilled;  they  felt  that  it 
was  in  vain  to  fight  against  God;  they  saw  no  God  of 
any  other  nation  had  delivered  his  votaries;  and  there¬ 
fore  had  the  fullest  conviction,  that  such  were  only  the 
creatures  of  the  imagination,  or  literally  the  works  of 
men’s  hands. 

Edward.  All  history  seems  •  calculated  to.  give  the 
idea,  that  just  views  of  God  and  of  his  service  are  but 
slowly  embraced  by  the  bulk  of  mankind. 

Mr.  B.  And  the  cause  is  not  far  removed;  for,  so  far 
as  the  intellect  only  is  concerned,  we  ever  see  persons 
stopping  at  second  causes,  or  having  recourse  to  some 
occult  quality,  the  existence  of  which  can  neither  be 

45  What  instances  of  miracles  are  named  by  Edward,  which  appeared 
to  produce  on  that  people  a  full  effect? — 46  On  what  occasion  did  proph¬ 
ecy  become  more  abundant? — 47  What  was  the  grand  question  at  issue? 
— 48  How  does  Edward  think  that  history  will  teach  us  in  regard  to  the 
progress  in  the  world  of  just  views  of  God  and  his  service? — 49  What  does 
Mr.  B.  say  of  the  intellect  and  the  heart  of  man,  so  far  as  religion  is  con¬ 
cerned? 


244 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


proved  nor  disproved.  With  respect  to  the  heart,  I  think 
no  one  can  doubt,  that,  naturally,  all  men  seek  to  make 
ther  religion  such  as  will  favour  their  own  inclinations. 

Maria.  Of  the  infinite  importance  of  truth,  no  one 
doubts  in  theory;  but  every  day’s  experience  shows  how 
little  it  is  regarded  in  practice. 

Mr.  B.  The  Jews,  when  once  fixed  in  their  religion, 
became  bigots,  and  sought  only,  whilst  retaining  the 
great  leading  truths,  to  make  it  speak  the  language  most 
agreeable  to  themselves.  Any  doubt  as  to  idolatry  was 
altogether  out  of  the  question;  that  the  Lord  Only  was 
God  could  not  be  doubted;  but  by  keeping  out  of  view 
the  fact  that  He  was  “  a  Spirit,  and  required  those  who 
worshipped  him,  to  do  it  in  spirit  and  in  truth,”  they 
contrived  to  retain  every  outward  observance  of  respect, 
with  little  or  no  regard  to  higher  duties. 

Edxvard.  It  was  in  this  state  that  they  were  found  by 
our  Lord,  who,  by  rebuking  them  for  having  “  made  the 
Word  of  God  of  none  effect,”  drew  upon  himself  the 
hatred  of  those  “  who  loved  darkness  rather  than  light, 
because  their  deeds  were  evil.” 

Mr.  B.  If  no  period  had  elapsed  sufficient  to  develope 
this  general  corruption  of  the  Jewish  nation,  hew  much 
should  we  have  wanted  of  the  instruction  of  our  Lord, 
which  was  called  forth  by  the  state  in  which  he  found 
them  !  This  instruction,  you  will  also  observe,  is  not 
merely  applicable  to  the  circumstances  of  the  Jews,  but 
becomes  very  important  to  the  church  itself,  in  later 
times,  for  its  own  use.  The  same  endeavour  to  escape 
from  moral  obligation,  which  made  the  Jews  seek  to 
merge  the  whole  of  religion  in  ritual  observances,  has 
subsequently  prevailed  in  a  very  large  portion  of  the 
Christian  church,  and  with  as  pernicious  effects.  In¬ 
deed,  “there  is  nothing  new  under  the  sun;”  human 
nature  is  ever  developing  the  same  propensities  in  differ¬ 
ent  ways,  as  modified  by  changes  of  situation,  manners, 

50  Into  what  inconsistency  did  the  Jews  run  in  relation  to  the  worship 
of  God! — 51  What  was  their  state  when  our  Lord  appeared  upon  earth, 
and  how  did  he  reprove  them! — 52  What  advantages  do  we  derive  from 
their  being  in  sucli  a  state! — 53  What  analogy  is  there  between  the  con¬ 
duct  of  professed  Christians  and  the  ancient  Jews  in  one  particular  here 
named! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  245 

and  attainments,  but  the  principle  is  the  same  in  all 
ages,  and  under  all  circumstances. 

Edward.  Our  Lord,  however,  appeared  at  a  period  so 
far  advanced,  as  to  have  developed  those  modes  of  con¬ 
duct  ;  and  in  the  Gospel  we  are  furnished  with  the  best 
preservative  against  similar  errors. 

Mr.  B.  On  reviewing  the  whole  plan  of  redemption 
as  displayed  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  connecting  the  Old 
and  New  Testaments  with  eaclf  other,  it  appears  in  all 
respects  worthy  of  God.  Every  portion  of  it  will,  on 
such  a  survey,  be  found  in  its  proper  place,  requisite  for 
some  beneficial  purpose,  and  sufficient  to  the  accom¬ 
plishment  of  that  for  which  it  was  designed.  The  Bible 
discloses  a  more  magnificent  display  of  the  government 
of  the  great  Creator  of  all  things,  than  we  could  possibly 
have  imagined,  had  we  been  destitute  of  this  light. 

Maria.  And  what  additional  interest  is  thereby  given 
to  religion,  when  we  see  all  things  regulated  with  a  re¬ 
gard  to  the  improvement  of  man  by  its  means  ! 

Mr.  B.  The  rise  and  fall  of  empires  two  or  three 
thousand  years  ago,  is  indeed  to  us  a  matter  of  little  con¬ 
sequence;  but  of  what  infinite  importance  it  is  to  us, 
that,  during,  the  political  convulsions  which  attended 
them,  mankind  were  placed  in  a  state  of  moral  disci¬ 
pline,  by  which  they  were  trained  to  be  in  a  fit  state  to 
receive  that  Gospel  which  was  able  to  make  them  wise 
unto  salvation  !  Even  in  the'  eyes  of  an  enlightened 
Deist,  the  fixing  the  religion  of  a  nation  on  the  belief 
of  one  God,  by  whatever,  means  effected,  must  appear 
of  incalculable  importance  to  the  human  race.  They 
who  are  indifferent  to  revealed  religion,  acknowledge  the 
benefit  conferred  on  Europe  by  the  Reformation,  how¬ 
ever  they  may  lament  peculiar  circumstances  connected 
with  it.  Upon  the  same  principle  that  partial  and  tem¬ 
porary  evils,  in  this  case,  are  overlooked  for  the  sake  of 
universal  and  permanent  good,  we  ought  to  argue  with 

54  What  difference  is  there  between  our  own  situation,  in  the  particu¬ 
lar  named,  and  that  of  the  Jews  at  the  time  of  our  Lord’s  appearance1? — 

55  If  we  review  the  whole  plan  of  redemption,  what  will  be  the  result1?— 

56  What  does  the  Bible  disclose1? — 57  In  the  rise  and  fall  of  empires,  two 
or  three  thousand  years  ago,  what  does  Mr.  B.  say  is  most  important1? — 
68  How  does  he  say  that  enlightened  deists  ought  to  view  this  subject! 


246 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


respect  to  the  evpnts  which  led  to  the  firm  establishment 
of  the  religion  delivered  by  Moses. 

Edward.  The  case  was  desperate,  and  called  for  des¬ 
perate  remedies. 

Mr.  B.  But  those  remedies  were  administered  by  In¬ 
finite  Wisdom,  which  knew  how  to  make  even  the  wrath 
of  man  work  to  his  praise,  and  to  restrain  its  excess. 
With  regard  to  the  severe  judgments  which  attended 
the  Mosaic  dispensation,  the  only  real  difficulty  which 
appears  to  me  existing,  is  the  impression  which  might 
have  been  made  on  the  minds  of  the  Canaanites  and 
other  nations,  by  seeing  such  a  people  as.  the  Israelites 
so  highly  favoured  by  Heaven. 

Edward.  The  Israelites  themselves  could  not  be  igno¬ 
rant  that  it  was  only  on  account  of  the  wickedness  of 
these  nations  that  they  were  commanded  to  destroy 
them;  this  being  often  and  emphatically  repeated  in  their 
law,  and  their  own  sins  as  strongly  reprobated. 

Maria.  But  the  Canaanites,  who  were  destroyed  with¬ 
out  mercy,  could  hardly  have  comprehended  the  reason 
of  this;  they  could  only  look  upon  the  Israelites  as  rob¬ 
bers. 

Mr.  B.  Putting  religion  out  of  the  question,  no  more 
objection  lies  against  the  invasion  of  Canaan  than  any 
other  invasion.  In  those  countries,  and  in  those  times, 
robbery  and  oppression  were  alike  common  to  all;  so 
that  I  do  not  apprehend  the  Canaanites,  who  knew  no¬ 
thing  of  the  religion  of  the  Jews  (if  such  there  were), 
regarded  the  matter  in  any  other  light  than  a  common 
war.  They  would  have  been  equally  ready  to  spoil  and 
plunder  others,  had  they  had  the  power.  Some  of  their 
kings  had  already  given  pretty  convincing  proofs  of  their 
disposition  in  this  way. 

Maria.  But  it  is  in  seeing  the  spoiling  of  the  country 
sanctioned  by  God  that  the  difficulty  consists* 


59  Edward  remarks  that  the  case  was  desperate,  and  required  desperate 
remedies — what  is  the  reply  of  Mr.  B.  to  him'? — 60  What  does  he  say  is 
the  only  real  difficulty  in  regard  to  the  severe  judgments  which  attended 
the  Mosaic  dispensation! — 61  How  does  Edward  suppose  the  Israelites 
must  have  viewed  those  judgments'? — 62  What  does  Mr.  B.  say  of  the  in¬ 
vasion  of  ancient  Canaan  by  the  Jews'? — 63  In  what  does  Maria  think  the 
difficulty  of  this  case  consists'! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  247 

Mr.  B.  Those  who  were  acquainted  with  the  Jewish 
religion,  must  have  known  that  all  those  who  came  up 
with  the  descendants  of  Israel  from  Egypt  were  not  of 
the  seed  of  Abraham.  It  could  have  been  no  difficult 
matter  for  individuals  who  truly  abhorred  the  cruel  and 
abominable  superstitions  of  Canaan,  to  have  united  them¬ 
selves  to  them.  Some  actually  did  so.  There  was  de¬ 
cisive  evidence  against  the  religion  of  Canaan  in  itself ; 
there  was  decisive  evidence  for  the  religion  of  the  Jews 
in  their  miraculous  deliverance  from  Egypt,  and  preser¬ 
vation  in  the  desert. 

Maria.  The  passage  of  the  Jordan,  and  the  fall  of  the 
walls  of  Jericho,  were,  at  least,  a  solemn  warning  to  the 
whole  nation  of  the  consequences  which  must  ensue 
upon  any  opposition  to  the  God  of  Israel:  they  must 
have  known  they  were  fighting  against  God. 

Mr.  B.  They  must  also  have  known  that  God  was 
justly  displeased  at  them,  nor  can  I  think  they  were  ig¬ 
norant  that  he  was  yet  of  great  mercy;  but  their  sins 
were,  in  fact,  such  that  they  were  not  fit  to  live.  The 
attack  of  the  Israelites  was  to  them  what  the  fire  from 
heaven  had  been  to  the  cities  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah 
It  was  announced  as  such;  it  was  received  as  such;  it 
was  regarded  by  others  as  such.  They  knew  they  were 
guilty;  and  such  as  despaired  of  mercy  from  heaven  re¬ 
sisted  and  perished.* 

Edward.  As  to  the  possession  of  the  country,  they 
had  only  held  it  before  by  permission  from  God;  and  at 
a  time  when  he  openly  resumed  his  own,  on  account  of 
their  having  forsaken  him,  it  seems  absurd  to  consider 
the  Israelites  as  mere  robbers  and  plunderers. 

Mr.  B.  They  acted  under  a  special  dispensation:  the 
finger  of  God  was  manifest  in  the  whole  proceeding. 
The  heavy  doom  which  came  upon  them  can  only  prove, 
that  the  worship  and  service  of  God  is  a  matter  of  much 

64  How  does  Mr.  B.  reply  to  her? — 65  What  comparison  does  he  make 
between  the  religion  of  the  Jews  and  that  of  Canaan'! — 66  To  what  mira¬ 
cles  does  Maria  allude,  and  how  does  she  say  they  must  have  been  viewed1? 

_ 67  How  must  the  Canaanites  have  viewed  the  calamities  which  came 

upon  them? — 68  In  what  manner  does  Edward  say  that  they  themselves  had 
held  the  country? — 69  How  is  the  conduct  of  the  Israelites  to  be  viewed 
in  the  agency  which  they  performed  in  these  transactional 


248  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 

more  importance  than  some  would  persuade  us.  The 
same  truth  was  afterwards  as  fully  declared  in  the  pun¬ 
ishment  of  the  Israelites,  so  that  there  is  no  such  thing 
as  the  partiality  which  infidels  would  persuade  us  exists. 
The  Israelites  served  the  purpose  for  which  they  were 
separated  from  other  nations,  probably  as  well  as  any 
other  people  would  have  done.  In  the  nature  of  things, 
general  laws  may  press  hard  upon  particular  individuals; 
but  when  we  see  God  invariably  apportioning  to  nations 
the  results  due  by  general  laws  to  their  conduct  as  na¬ 
tions,  and  yet  know,  that  in  every  nation  he  that  “  fear- 
eth  him,  arid  worketh  righteousness,  is  accepted  of  him,” 
and  that  hereafter  every  man  shall  receive  according  to 
his  works, — we  must  confess  that  the  judgment  of  God 
is  according  to  truth. 


CONVERSATION  XYII 

Mr.  B.  All  the  previous  dispensations  had  been  lim¬ 
ited  as  to  their  nature  and  extent,  had  reference  to  local 
and  temporary  circumstances,  and  were  supported  by 
means  of  a  similar  kind.  Christianity,  however,  was 
designed  to  go  far  beyond  these;  it  was  to  be  that  in 
which  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord  should  cover  the  earth 
as  the  waters  cover  the  sea;  it  was  designed  to  last  for 
ever;  of  this  kingdom  there  was  to  be  no  end.  The 
objects  to  which  it  was  directed  were  of  a  higher  kind, 
and  the  means  by  which  it  was  to  prevail  were  to  be 
such  as  should  alike  endure  through  all  time,  and  in  all 
countries. 

Edward.  But  this  involves  several  important  questions. 
Is  it  certain  that  Christianity  not  only  professes  to  be  of 


70  How  may  we  be  enabled,  in  this  and  in  all  similar  cases,  to  see  and 
know  that  God  judges  according  to  truth  1 

1  What  is  said  of  the  nature  of  the  institutions  of  religion,  which  exist¬ 
ed  prior  to  Christianity! — 2  What  is  said  of  Christianity  by  way  of  con¬ 
trast! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  249 

this  nature,  but  is  also  capable  of  universal  reception 
an<J  perpetual  duration  ? 

Mr.  B.  It  is  certain;  and  hence  arises  one  of  the 
strongest  proofs  of  its  divine  origin.  If  all  other  evi¬ 
dences  in  its  favour  could  be  overcome,  this  alone  would 
present  an  insuperable  difficulty  to  the  sceptic.  This 
religion  arose  at  a  time  when  no  such  thing  as  an  univer¬ 
sal  religion  had  ever,  even  for  a  moment,  been  deemed 
possible  by  uninspired  legislators.  All  out  of  Judea  had 
sought  to  make  religion  universal,  only  by  tolerating 
every  species  of  superstition  that  might  be  invented. 
In  Judea  a  religion  strictly  local  prevailed;  it  was  be¬ 
lieved  permanent,  and  its  permanence  depended  upon 
the  Jews  remaining  a  separate  people.  Now  what  hu¬ 
man  cause  could  induce  the  idea  of  establishing  a  new 
religion  which  should  be  universal  as  to  its  extent;  per¬ 
petual  as  to  its  duration;  and  yet  exclusive  as  to  every 
species  of  accommodation  with  any  other  religion  ? 
Such  an  idea  might  possibly  be  compatible  with  the  state 
of  our  knowledge,  but  is  altogether  incompatible  with 
that  which  then  existed. 

Edward.  If  it  had  been  suggested  by  the  state  of  toe 
world  at  that  time,  or  by  reflections  on  its  previous 
history,  traces  of  it  would  have  been  found  in  other 
writers. 

Maria.  But  might  they  not  take  it  from  old  writings  ? 

Edward.  This  only  increases  the  difficulty,  by  remov¬ 
ing  it  to  a  period  still  less  likely  to  give  birth  to  such 
an  idea. 

Mr.  B.  Now  this  idea  originated  in  Palestine,  among 
the  very  people  most  indifferent  to  the  welfare  of  other 
nations,  most  exclusive  in  their  views  of  national  ag¬ 
grandizement. 

Edward.  No  one  would  ever  have  expected  from  a 
jew  the  giving  up  the  prejudices  of  education  for  public 

3  What,  in  the  nature  and  design  of  Christianity,  presents  an  insuper¬ 
able  difficulty  to  sceptics'! — 4  How  had  heathens  endeavoured  to  make  an 
universal  religion'?— 5  What  is  remarked  of  the  improbability  of  the  Jews 
acknowledging  the  truth  of  a  religion  so  unlike  that  to  which  they  had 
been  accustomed'! — 6  Where  did  the  idea  of  such  a  religion  originate1? — 7 
What  does  Edward  say  of  the  Jews,  in  reference  to  their  having  an  agen¬ 
cy  in  the  establishment  of  the  new  religion'! 


250 


conversations  on  the 


benent.  Yet  this  plan  of  the  greatest  good  originated 
with  the  Jews;  the  nation  most  deficient  in  general  good 
will  to  others;  the  people  regarded  as  hating  the  rest  of 
the  human  race. 

Mr.  B.  Again,  supposing  this  difficulty  got  over  by 
the  sceptic,  he  is  met  by  another  not  less  formidable. 
Perhaps  there  is  no  nation,  the  writers  of  which,  in  gen¬ 
eral,  have  been  so  deficient  in  those  qualities  which  are 
the  best  calculated  to  render  any  production  likely  to  be 
useful  for  all  times  and  all  places,  than  the  Jews,  with 
the  exception  of  the  writers  of  the  sacred  books.  Among 
all  their  later  authors,  we  find  hardly  any  thing  that  is 
valuable  for  its  own  sake.  We  consult  their  books,  not 
to  gain  information  for  ourselves,  but  to  learn  what  they 
believed  and  taught.  Of  their  excessive  fanaticism, 
and  of  their  bigoted  attachment  to  their  idea  of  a  tempo¬ 
ral  prince  who  should  restore  the  kingdom  to  Israel,  it  is 
hardly  necessary  to  remind  you.  What,  then,  must  we 
think  at  seeing  this  people  send  out  a  system  of  religion 
actually  capable  of  universal  reception  and  perpetual 
duration  ? 

.  Maria.  Is  it  not,  then,  only  astonishing  that  they 
should  have  wished  to  promulgate  this  religion,  but  that 
they  should  have  had  the  power  to  devise  it  at  all  ? 

Mr.  B.  From  the  very  nature  of  the  religion,  as  con¬ 
trasted  with  the  general  spirit  and  acquirements  of  the 
people,  we  see  strong  corroborative  evidence  in  behalf 
of  its  pretensions.  But  further:  the  alleged  revelation 
thus  sent  out,  professing  to  have  this  character  of  uni¬ 
versality,  was  not  produced  at  long  intervals,  and  altered, 
corrected  and  varied,  as  experience  showed  it  to  be  ne¬ 
cessary,  in  order  to  preserve  this  character:  it  sprung 
out  at  once,  finished  and  perfect,  though  nothing  of  the 
kind  had  before  existed  to  furnish  any  guide  to  its  forma¬ 
tion.  It  was  altogether  original,  and  yet  in  all  respects 
complete. 


8  If  tliis  difficulty  be  removed,  what  other  one  no  less  formidable  will 
be  found  to  exist  1—9  How  is  the  character  of  the  later  works  of  the 
Jews  described! — 10  In  what  do  we  see  strong  corroborative  evidence  in 
behalf  of  the  pretensions  of  the  gospel! — 11  What  other  extraordinary 
circumstance  attended  the  establishment  of  Christianity! 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHPJSTHNITY.  251 

Maria,,  But  might  not  a  Jew  allege,  that  the  writers 
of  the  New  Testament  only  added  to  the  Old  such  things 
as  would  render  the  last  mentioned  capable  of  universal 
reception  ? 

Mr.  B.  In  that  case,  tlie  additions  must  have  been  of 
such  a  nature  as  would  be  calculated  to  secure  the  sup¬ 
port  of  those  to  whom  they  addressed  themselves.  Now 
in  what  does  Christianity  differ  from  the  preceding  dis¬ 
pensations,  and  in  what  respects  are  4hese  additions 
likely  to  secure  converts  ?  One  of  the  most  striking 
features  in  it  is,  the  making  the  kingdom  of.  Christ  a 
spiritual  and  not  a  temporal  kingdom.  This,  indeed, 
would  obviate  some  difficulties  attendant  on  the  idea  of 
a  universal  religion;  but  what  impostor  would  adopt  it, 
when  by  so  doing  he  disappointed  the  expectations  of  all, 
and  made  many  his  most  implacable  enemies  ? 

Edward.  The  novelty  of  this  idea  must  have  been  a 
great  objection  in  all  cases.  To  the  Jews  we  know  it 
was  absolutely  hateful. 

Mr.  B.  Connected  with  this  was  the  abolition  of  sacri¬ 
fice  and  the  ritual  law. 

Maria.  This  must  have  been  a  daring  stroke  in  those 
times.  It  did  not  seem  claimed  by  the  necessity  of  the 
case,  and  exposed  the  new  religion  to  great  hazards. 

Mr.  B.  And  if  either  Jew  or  Pagan  asked  the  reason 
of  this,  the  Christian  would  only  increase  his  astonish¬ 
ment  and  indignation  by  informing  him  that  “  Christ, 
our  passover,  was  sacrificed  for  us;”  that  “by  this  one 
offering  of  himself,  he  had  perfected  for  ever  them  that 
are  sanctified.” 

Edward.  However  conformable  this  may  be,  in  fact, 
with  the  scriptures  pf  the  Old  Testament,  many  will  not, 
to  this  day,  allow  it.  “  To  the  Jews  the  cross  of  Christ 
was  a  stumbling-bjock,  and  to  the  Greeks  foolishness.” 

12  What  question  does  Maria  suggest  to  obviate  the  difficulty,  as  to  the 
shortness  of  time  in  the  formation  of  the  system'? — 13  In  such  a  case,  of 
what  nature  must  have  been  the  additions  made? — 14  What  is  said  of  the 
most  obvious  traits  i*  Christ’s  kingdom,  distinguishing  it  from  preceding 
dispensations? — 15  What  objectionable  feature  would  the  Jews  have  be¬ 
held  in  Christianity,  in  addition  to  its  novelty? — 16  If  the  Jew,  or  a  pa¬ 
gan,  asked  the  reason  for  abolishing  the  sacrifices  of  the  law,  how  would 
the  Christian  have  answered  him?— -17  How  was  the  cross  of  Christ  to 
the  Jews? 


252 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


Mr.  B.  And  it  was  especially  so  because  the  victim 
and  the  prince  were  the  same  person.  Another  striking 
characteristic  of  Christianity  was  its  actual  declaration 
of  permanence.  It  offered  a  religion  strangely  at  vari¬ 
ance  with  received  opinions;  it  claimed  to  be  the  fulfil¬ 
ment  of  all  preceding  dispensations,  but  promised  noth¬ 
ing  beyond  itself.  Had  the  disciples,  like  the  later  Jews, 
taken  up  the  idea  of  two  messias — one  a  suffering,  and 
the  other  a  victorious  prince — they  might  possibly  have 
tolerated  the  account  given  of  the  one,  for  the  sake  of 
the  hope  which  yet  remained  of  the  other.  In  excluding 
all  hope  of  this  kind,  the  disciples  acted  as  no  impostor 
would  have  done. 

Edward.  But  persons  capable  of  conceiving  the  idea 
of  a  universal  religion,  of  founding  it  upon  previous  rev¬ 
elations,  of  developing  it  at  once ‘so  as  to  be  really. adapt¬ 
ed  to  all  nations,  if  not  all  times,  could  not  have  been  so 
careless  as  to  matters  of  this  kind.  They  could  not  be 
s6  destitute  of  prudence  and  discretion  as  to  expose  their 
alleged  revelation  to  a  test  like  this,  and  at  the  same  time 
make  all  opposed  to  its  claims.  If  we  were  to  suppose 
that,  after  all,  Christianity  was  an  imposture,  we  must 
admit  the  union  of  the  most  astonishing  prudence  with 
the  greatest  neglect  of  it  affecting  the  same  things.  We 
must  admit  their  having  introduced  nothing  that  could  be 
disproved,  and  yet  in  all  this  they  made  no  use  of  the 
reigning  passions  and  prejudices. 

Mr.  B.  And  now  add  to  this  the  greatest  wonder  of 
all — the  fact  that  the  religion  thus  produced  at  once,  by 
a  few  individuals  of  the  most  partial  and  unphilosophical 
people  that  ever  existed,  at  a  time  when  every  thing 
prompted  to  a  contrary  course,  not  only  was  then  found 
capable  of  universal  reception,  but  has  also  ever  since 
been  found  equally  adapted  for  all  a^e^  and  all  nations, 
when  every  thing  else  has  changed.  One  system  of 


18  Why  was  this  especially  sol — 19  What  method  has  been  adopted 
by  the  later  Jews  to  obviate  this  difficulty! — 20  If  Christianity  is  an  im¬ 
posture,  of  what  must  we  admit  an  union  in  accomplishing  the  same  things'? 
— 21  What  is  the  greatest  wonder  of  all,  to  be  added  by  Mr.  B.  in  this 
hypothesis? — 22  How  is  Christianity,  by  him  in  this  respect,  contrasted 
with  philosophy? 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY. 


253 


philosophy  has  overthrown  another;  new  discoveries 
have  proved  to  demonstration  long-received  opinions  fal¬ 
lacious;  and  continual  advances  have  been  made  in  all 
sciences;  but  the  Christian  religion  has  remained  unsha¬ 
ken  and  unchanged.  No  proof  has  been  afforded,  after 
the  lapse  of  nearly  eighteen  hundred  years,  of  error  in 
any  of  its  precepts  or  statements;  no  new  discoveries 
have  been  made  in  either;  no  change  has  been  found 
necessary,  to  enable  it  to  subsist  amidst  the  continual 
change  that  has  taken  place  in  all  things  else. 

Edward.  And  yet  it  has  had  many  powerful  adversa¬ 
ries;  men  whose  natural  acuteness  was  sharpened  by 
strong  desire  to  overthrow  its  authority. 

Mr.  B.  But  which  is  the  more  incredible  of  the  two — 
that  this  religion  should  be  produced  in  a  nation  and  at 
a  time  singularly  ill  calculated  for  the  discovery  of  a  re¬ 
ligion  capable  of  universal  application  and  perpetual  du¬ 
ration,  where  all  the  probabilities  are  in  favour  of  its 
truth,  and  yet  after  all  be  false — or  that  it  proceeded 
from  God?  We  can  account  naturally  and  fully  for  the 
fact  by  the  latter  supposition,  which  is  confirmed  by  all 
the  evidence,  external  and  internal,  which  can  be  brought 
forward  on  the  subject,  and  cannot  account  for  it  on  the 
former. 

Edivard.  To  me  it  seems  a  greater  miracle  is  suppos¬ 
ed  to  exist  by  those  who  argue  against  Christianity,  than 
what  they  declare  themselves  unable  to  receive;  for  it 
would  be,  indeed,  a  deviation  from  the  usual  government 
of  God,  to  put  it  wholly  out  of  our  power  to  disprove  the 
truth  of  this  religion,  and  to  render  it  in  appearance  so 
probable.  If  Christianity  be  not  true,  what  can  be  true? 
If  we  may  not  confide  in  it,  in  what  may  we  trust? 

Mr.  B.  This  evidence  in  favour  of  Christianity,  though 
only  of  a  negative  kind,  becomes  amazingly  strong  from 
the  extent  of  the  subject,  and  the  length  of  time  which 


23  Of  what  has  no  proof  been  afforded  for  the  space  of  eighteen  hundred 
years,  affecting  the  character  of  Christianity? — 24  What  is  the  question 
asked  by  Mr.  B.  as  to  the  alternatives  between  which  we  must  choose  in 
settling  this  matter? — 25  How  does  he  answer  it  himself? — 26  How  docs 
Edward  say  it  appears  to  him? — 27  What  is  said  of  the  importance  of  this 
negative  kind  of  evidence  in  favour  ot  Christianity? 

22 


254 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


has  elapsed.  If  Christianity  had  only  involved  a  few 
topics  of  consideration,  we  might  have  regarded  it  only 
as  a  lucky  chance  that  it  had  j roved  correct  in  all;  or 
if  only  a  few  years  had  elapsed  since  its  piomulgation, 
we  might  have  doubted  whether  time  would  not  prove  its 
pretensions  absurd;  or  if  no  changes  had  taken  place  in 
other  things,  we  might  have  merely  imputed  its-  continu¬ 
ance  to  a  general  aversion  to  change;  but  when  we  see 
a  religion  involving  so  great  an  extent  of  subject,  stand¬ 
ing  alone,  unaffected  by  time,  unmoved  by  changes  of 
opinion,  we  cannot  ascribe  it  to  any  other  cause  than 
abstract  and  unalloyed  truth.  See  Avhat  destruction  ex¬ 
perimental  philosophy  has  made  among  the  theories  of 
former  times.  Voltaire  brings  forward  physical  truth  as 
the  great  test  of  religion.  How  then  is  it  that  a  few  ig¬ 
norant  men  of  that  nation  which  was  most  likely  to  run 
into  error  on  the  subject  of  philosophy,  should  have  sent 
out  a  religion  which  no  subsequent  advances  in  science 
could  overthrow?  How  is  it  that  they,  amongst  all  the 
precepts  which  they  give,  should  have  escaped  in  every 
instance?  that  in  all  the  miracles  they  relate,  they  should 
never  have  involved  themselves  in  such  a  contradiction 
as  would  overthrow  the  whole  ?  The  progress  of  science 
has  not  yet  enabled  any  one  to  recall  the  dead,  on  whom 
corruption  had  seized,  to  life;  no  discovery  of  modern 
times  has  brought  us  any  nearer  to  the  healing  diseases 
by  a  word. 

Edward.  It  appears  that  the  old  antagonists  of  Christi¬ 
anity  had  only  one  way  of  accounting  for  the  miracles, 
and  that,  the  progress  of  science  has  shown  to  be  absurd. 

Mr.  B.  But  the  argument  may  be  rendered  still  strong¬ 
er.  Some,  if  not  all  the  writers  of  the  New  Testament, 
lay  claim  to  inspiration,  and  thereby  expose  themselves 
to  the  severest  test  imaginable.  A  few  errors  might  have 
been  expected  had  they  merely  professed  to  give  an  ac- 


1  28  What  circumstances  are  named,  under  which  we  might  have  doubted 
the  genuineness  of  Christianity,  and  placed  in  contrast  with  known  facts 
respecting  it! — 29  What  is  said  in  connexion  with  Voltaire’s  great  test  of 
religion  1 — 80  What,  was  wonderful  in  the  founders  of  this  religion,  when 
placed  under  the  application  of  his  test!— 31  Hpw  does  Mr.  B.  say  that 
the  argument  may  be  made  still  stronger! 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY. 


255 


count  of  what  they  had  themselves  been  taught;  out  in 
laying  claim  to  inspiration,  and  daring  all  the  world,  in 
all  ages,  to  disprove  their  pretensions,  no  refuge  is  left 
for  them.  But  what  have  they  thus  asserted  which  can 
be  shown  unworthy  of  God,  or  impossible  to  have  pro¬ 
ceeded  from  him?  The  general  consent  of  mankind,  p„s 
to  the  excellency  of  the  New  Testament  morality;  the 
total  want  of  proof  on  the  infidel  side  against  it,  when 
considered  in  connexion  with  these  pretensions  of  the 
apostles;  must  carry  conviction  to  the  mind  of  every 
honest  man. 

Maria.  The  precepts  of  the  New  Testament  are  so 
numerous  and  so  determinate,  that  it  seems  out  of  all 
reason  to  suppose  these  men  could  invariably  have  been 
right,  when  even  the  greatest  philosophers  have  failed, 
had  they  not  been  really  inspired. 

Mr.  B.  Many  of  these  precepts,  also,  are  such  as  were 
not  only  new  at  the  time  of  their  promulgation,  but  op¬ 
posed  to  common  opinion.  Their  excellency  is  indeed 
now  apparent;  but  it  has  only  been  by  experience  that 
they  have  triumphed  over  prejudice  and  opposition.  The 
precepts  of  St.  Paul,  in  connexion  with  his  life,  convey 
ideas  not  merely  of  excellence  of  the  highest  kind,  but 
of  the  most  original  cast, — of  such  a  nature  as  only  to  be 
duly  appreciated  upon  examination.  In  him  active  be¬ 
nevolence  and  self-denial  were  exhibited  to  an  extent 
that  is  unequalled  in  the  annals  of  profane  history.  To 
confer  the  greatest  degree  of  happiness  to  the  greatest 
number  possible,  by  the  best  means,  was  not  the  object 
either  of  the  religion  or  of  the  philosophy  of  Greece.  To 
renounce,  for  the  sake  of  mankind  at  large,  all  personal 
ease  and  reputation,  was  what  Grecian  patriotism  had 
never  contemplated.  The  true  value  of  the  soul  of  man 
had  never  been  duly  appreciated  in  the  Pagan  world; 
and  nothing  could  be  more  opposed  to  common  notions, 


32  What  questions  does  he  then  propound,  in  order  to  render  his  mean¬ 
ing  more  clear? — 33  What  does  Maria  say,  seems  to  be  out  of  all  reason1? 
— 34  How  does  the  case  of  these  precepts  differ  now  from  what  it  was 
when  they  were  given? — 35  Of  the  precepts  of  St.  Paul,  what  is  said? — 
36  In  what  particulars  are  the  religion  of  Greece  and  Rome  placed  in  con¬ 
trast  with  the  gospel? 


256 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


than  to  teach  that  in  this  faith  there  was  “neither  Jew 
nor  Greek,  neither  bond  nor  free.” 

Maria.  So  that  in  these  respects  time  has  added  to  the 
force  of  the  evidences  in  behalf  of  Christianity. 

Mr.  B.  In  moral  as  in  physical  science,  the  progress 
of  the  mind  has  been  slow.  The  history  of  mankind  fur¬ 
nishes  abundant  evidence  of  the  difficulty  of  attaining  to 
a  correct  knowledge  of  first  principles.  How  many  ages 
have  been  spent  in  unlearning  what  had  been  in  the  first 
instance  presumed  upon  insufficient  evidence!  How 
incessantly  necessary  we  find  it  to  recur  to  experience, 
to  rectify  opinions  which  seem  fixed  on  the  firmest  basis 
of  reason  and  expediency!  Yet  the  precepts  of  the  New 
Testament  are  given  with  the  greatest  decision  and  brev¬ 
ity;  left,  in  all  the  hardihood  of  truth,  to  be  tried  by  the 
experience  of  all  mankind,  in  all  ages. 

Edward.  They  are  also  given  by  different  writers;  and 
it  would  be  difficult  for  their  agreement  in  all  points,  upon 
any  other  hypothesis  than  that  which  they  assign. 

Mr.  B.  To  all  these  considerations,  now  add  that  of 
the  character  of  our  Lord,  as  developed  in  the  Gospels: 
in  all  it  is  the  same,  and  in  itself  so  different  from  any 
thing  else  that  the  world  has  ever  seen,  that  no  other  can 
bear  any  comparison  with  it.  At  first  sight,  it  appears 
one  which  could  not  have  been  produced  by  imposture. 
All  others  who  claimed  the  character  of  the  Messiah  as 
their  own,  took  a  very  different  course.  As  might  have 
been  expected  from  impostors,  they  adapted  their  preten¬ 
sions  to  popular  prejudices;  they  founded  their  hopes  of 
empire  on  the  ignorance  and  viciousness  of  those  around 
them.  Our  Lord’s  appeal  was  to  the  Scriptures,  his  life, 
his  works,  his  doctrine. 

“  Search  the  Scriptures;  for  in  them  ye  think  ye  have 
eternal  life:  and  they  are  they  which  testify  of  me.” — 
John,  v.  39. 


37  What  has  been  the  progress  of  the  human  mind'? — 38  How  is  this 
illustrated! — 39  What  is  said  of  the  precepts  of  the  New  Testament  gen¬ 
erally! — 40  How  does  Edward  speak  of  them! — 41  By  the  addition  of 
what  does  Mr.  B.  propose  to  strengthen  the  argument! — 42  What  is  said 
of  others  who  claimed  the  character  of  Messiah! — 43  What  appeals  did 
our  Lord  make  in  attestation  of  his  divine  character! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  257 

"Which  of  you  convinceth  me  of  sin?” — John,  viii.  46. 

“  Go  and  show  John  again  those  things,  which  ye  do 
hear  and  see:  the  blind  receive  their  sight,  and  the  lame 
walk,  the  lepers  are  cleansed,  and  the  deaf  hear,  the  dead 
are  raised  up,  and  the  poor  have  the  Gospel  preached  to 
them.” — Matt.  xi.  4 — 6. 

"  I  spake  openly  to  the  world;  I  ever  taught  in  the 
synagogue,  and  in  the  temple,  whither  the  Jews  always 
resort;  and  in  secret  have  I  said  nothing.  Why  askest 
thou  me?  ask  them  which  heard  me,  what  I  have  said 
unto  them:  behold,  they  know  what  I  said.” — John,  xviii. 
20,  21. 

"My  doctrine  is  not  mine,  but  his  that  sent  me.  If 
any  man  will  do  his  will,  he  shall  know  of  the  doctrine, 
whether  it  be  of  God,  or  whether  I  speak  of  myself.” — 
John,  vii.  16,  17. 

Maria.  These  appeals  were  also  made  on  public  occa¬ 
sions  of  great  importance,  in  the  presence  of  numbers 
who  were  his  bitterest  enemies. 

Mr.  B.  In  laying  claim  to  this  absolute  perfection  of 
life  and  doctrine,  at  the  same  time  that  he  exposed  the 
false  pretensions  of  others,  our  Lord  drew  upon  himself 
their  hatred,  and  rendered  his  character  and  precepts 
objects  of  the  most  rigid  scrutiny.  Yet  what  could  they 
establish  against  him?  Their  own  confession  was, 

"  This  man  doeth  many  miracles.” — John,  xi.  47. 

"  Never  man  spake  like  this  man.” — John,  vi.  47. 

"  And  the  chief  priests  and  all  the  council  sought  for 
witness  against  Jesus,  to  put  him  to  death;  and  found 
none.  For  many  bare  false  witness  against  him,  but 
their  witness  agreed  not  together.  And  there  arose  cer¬ 
tain,  and  bare  false  witness  against  him,  saying,  We 
heard  him  say,  I  will  destroy  this  temple  that  is  made 
with  hands,  and  within  three  days  I  will  build  another 
made  without  hands.  But  neither  so  did  their  witness 
agree  together.” — Mark,  xiv.  55 — 59. 

"And  Pilate,  when  he  had  called  together  the  chief 
priests  and  the  rulers  and  the  people,  said  unto  them,  Ye 

44  What  does  Maria  say  of  these  appeals'? — 45  By  what  means  in  par¬ 
ticular  did  our  Lord  draw  on  himself  the  hatred  of  his  enemies! — 46  Yet, 
what  confessions  were  they  obliged  to  make  respecting  him! 

'  22* 


258 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


have  brought  this  man  unto  me,  as  one  that  perverteth 
the  people;  and  behold,  I,  having  examined  him  before 
you,  have  found  no  fault  in  this  man,  touching  those 
things  whereof  ye  accuse  him:  no,  nor  yet  Herod:  for  I 
sent  you  to  him;  and,  lo,  nothing  worthy  of  death  is  done 
unto  him.” — Luke,  xxiii.  13 — 15. 

“  Pilate  saith  unto  them,  Take  ye  him  and  crucify 
him,  for  I  find  no  fault  in  him.  The  Jews  answered  him, 
We  have  a  law,  and  by  our  law  he  ought  to  die,  because  he 
made  himself  the  Son  of  God .” — John,  xix.  6 — 7. 

Mama.  We  cannot  have  stronger  attestation  from  ene¬ 
mies  than  these. 

Mr.  B.  I  shall  only  add  the  solemn  declaration  of  St. 
Peter  on  the  same  subject,  that  “  Christ  suffered  for  us, 
leaving  us  an  example,  that  we  should  follow  his  steps: 
who  did  no  sin,  neither  ivas  guile  found  in  his  mouth.” — 1 
Peter,  21—22. 

Maria.  If  the  life  of  our  Lord,  so  far  as  we  can  col¬ 
lect  it  from  the  sacred  writings,  in  any  particular  proved 
these  declarations  false,  all  would  be  lost. 

Mr.  B.  Yet  in  no  instance  has  error  or  sin  been  de¬ 
tected. 

Edward.  The  conclusion,  then,  must  follow  that  he 
was  the  Messias  ? 

Mr.  B.  It  must:  for  all  the  evidence  We  can  bring 
forward  upon  the  subject  leads  to  that  conclusion.  Who 
can  believe  that  the  Jews  would  have  imputed  his  mira¬ 
cles  to  magic,  if  they  could  have  disproved  them  by 
other  means;  that  they  would  have  required  that  he 
should  be  put  to  death,  “  because  he  made  himself  the  Son 
of  God,”  if  they  could  have  produced  evidence  of  sin  ? 
The  Gospels  afford  us  abundant  proof  of  the  pains  they 
had  taken  “to  entangle  him  in  his  talk and  what  in¬ 
stance  have  we,  except  this,  of  any  one  ever  having  been 
able  at  all  times  to  preserve  himself  from  error  ?  Our 
Lord  was  attacked  in  such  a  variety  of  ways,  was  tried 
by  so  many  different  characters,  that  he  could  not  have 

47  What  does  Maria  say  of  them1? — 48  What  is  the  testimony  of  St. 
Peter  respecting  our  Lord’s  character? — 49  To  what  conclusion  does  all 
the  evidence  adduced  lead  us  1 — 60  Of  what  does  the  gospel  afford  abun¬ 
dant  proof? 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  259 

escaped  some  taint  of  common  failing,  had  he  been  oth¬ 
erwise  than  what  he  professed.  We  find  no  instance  of 
any  other  “  enduring  such  contradiction  of  sinners 
against  himself ;”  of  any  other  “  being  tempted  in  all 
points  like  as  we  are,  yet  without  sin.” 

Maria.  In  considering  our  Lord’s  conduct,  perhaps 
we  are  not  so  much  struck  with  the  excellence  of  par¬ 
ticular  actions,  from  finding  nothing  but  perfection  in 
all. 

Mr.  B.  There  is  also  a  peculiarity  in  our  Lord’s  cha¬ 
racter  that  well  deserves  our  attention;  viz.  that  singu¬ 
lar  union  of  assumption  of  the  greatest  authority  with 
the  most  entire  humility.  “  Therefore  the  Jews  sought 
the  more  to  kill  him,  because  he  not  only  had  broken 
the  sabbath,  but  said  also  that  God  was  his  Father, 
making  himself  equal  with  God.” — John,  v.  18. 

“Ye  call  me  Master  and  Lord;  and  ye  say  well;  for 
so  I  am.  If  I  then,  your  Lord  and  Master,  have  washed 
vour  feet,  ye  also  ought  to  wash  one  another’s  feet. 
For  I  have  given  you  an  example,  that  ye  should  do  as 
I  have  done  to  you.” — John,  xiii.  13 — 15. 

“  Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labour  and  are  heavy 
laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest.  Take  my  yoke  upon 
you,  and  learn  of  me;  for  I  am  meek  and  lowly  in  heart: 
and  ye  shall  find  rest  unto  your  souls.  For  my  yoke  is 
easy,  and  my  burden  is  light.” — Matthew,  xi.  28 — 30. 

Maria.  If  we  had  not  the  Gospels  in  our  hands,  it 
would  be  very  difficult  to  conceive  how  such  high  pre¬ 
tensions  could  be  reconciled  with  such  deep  humility. 

Mr.  B.  It  is  also  well  deserving  of  your  attention  in 
how  complete  a  manner  the  union  of  two  distinct  charac¬ 
ters  is  united  in  our  Lord.  As  about  to  leave  a  perfect 
example  for  his  disciples  to  follow,  we  find  him  passing 
through  the  ordinary  occupations  of  life  as  though  he 
had  no  higher  object,  with  only  one  or  two  exceptions, 
evidently  introduced  for  the  sake  of  reminding  those 


51  But  what  w,as  the  result1? — 52  Of  what  great  peculiarity  in  our  Lord’s 
character  does  Mr.  B.  speak1? — 53  What  passages  are  quoted  from  the 
gospels,' which  assert  this  peculiarity! — 54  How  does  Maria  speak  of  this 
peculiarity'! — 55  What  else  is  named  by  Mr.  B.  as  deserving  attention1! — 
66  Of  his  character  as  a  man,  what  does  Mr.  B.  say! 


260  CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 

whom  it  concerned  of  his  real  origin  and  ultimate  desti¬ 
nation.  But  turning  to  him  in  his  public  character,  we 
find  he  admits  of  no  comparison  with  other  men.  From 
the  beginning  “he  taught  as  one  having  authority he 
purged  the  Temple  as  his  peculiar  office:  he  declared 
“  The  Son  of  Man  is  Lord  of  the  sabbath he  works  a 
miracle  expressly  that  they  may  know  tc  The  Son  of 
Man  has  potver  on  earth  to  forgive  sins.”  The  general 
character  both  of  his  miracles  and  his  teaching  is  that 
of  command.  His  declarations  as  to  his  own  high  dig¬ 
nity  are  as  solemn  and  express  as  could  well  be  imag¬ 
ined. 

Edward.  The  necessity  of  the  case  evidently  pre¬ 
vented  their  not  being  more  frequent  and  public. 

Mr.  B.  At  Mount  Tabor,  in  his  public  entrance  into 
Jerusalem,  and  on  some  other  remarkable  occasions, 
particularly  when  before  the  chief  priests,  immediately 
before  his  crucifixion,  our  Lord,  however,  decidedly  as¬ 
sumed  the  character  of  the  Messiah.  After  his  resur¬ 
rection,  when  all  doubt  was  removed  from  the  minds  of 
the  disciples,  we  find  greater  reserve.  They  could  no 
longer  live  with  him  as  they  had  formerly  done;  and 
his  appearance  could  never  take  place  without  a  sense 
of  awe.  “  None  of  the  disciples  durst  ask  him,  Who 
art  thou  ?”  even  after  the  terrors  excited  by  his  first 
appearance  in  their  midst  had  passed  away.  Now  all 
this  is  perfectly  consistent  with  the  Scripture  statement 
as  to  the  Messias:  by  no  other  means  can  the  prophe¬ 
cies  of  the  Old  Testament  be  fulfilled  in  one  person. 
But  had  it  not  all  occurred,  who  would  even  have  imag¬ 
ined  such  a  union  of  apparently  irreconcileable  charac¬ 
ters  ?  who  could  have  developed  it  in  such  a  manner  as 
it  is  done  in  the  Gospels  ? 

Maria.  At  times  we  forget  the  greatness  of  our  Lord, 
when  we  see  him  so  good  and  affectionate  as  a  son,  so 


57  What  instances  of  his  divine  character  are  given1! — 58  What  is  re¬ 
lated  of  him  at  Mount  Tabor! — 69  What  change  took  place  in  the  inter¬ 
course  between  him  and  his  disciples,  after  his  resurrection! — 60  How  is 
it  said  that  his  character  agrees  with  the  prophecies  relating  to  him! — 61 
How  does  Maria  say  that  we  are  at  times  afiected  by  a  contemplation  of 
his  character! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  261 

considerate  with  regard  to  his  friends,  so  meek  and  pa¬ 
tient  towards  his  enemies. 

Edward.  And  yet  at  others,  as  when  he  walks  on  the 
sea,  is  transfigured  on  the  mount,  and  ascends  to  hea¬ 
ven,  our  attention  is  almost  wholly  fixed  upon  him  as 
the  Son  of  God. 

Mr.  B.  Yet  so  perfect  is  this  singular  union  of  the 
two  characters,  that  we  never  perceive  any  improba¬ 
bility  in  it  which  breaks  the  reality  so  apparent  through¬ 
out.  There  is  nothing  forced  or  out  of  place  in  any 
passage  of  our  Saviour’s  life.  His  doctrine  is  brought 
before  us,  not  systematically,  and  his  office  is  not  de¬ 
clared  formally;  but  we  determine  both  by  the  accidents 
of  the  day  which  bring  them  before  us.  It  is  only  by 
reflection  and  comparison  that  we  discover  how  much 
has  been  revealed  to  us.  There  is  no  detail  of  particu¬ 
lar  virtues,  with  examples  under  each  head;  no  summing 
up  of  extraordinary  powers;  no  attempt  to  contrast  the 
superiority  of  the  life  thus  displayed  with  the  inferiority 
of  others;  no  long  and  orderly  enumeration  of  miracles 
wrought,  and  prophecies  fulfilled;  no  analysis  of  doctrine, 
or  selection  of  pointed  sayings:  all  is  told  which  struck 
the  writer  as  remarkable,  as  it  appeared  or  was  related 
to  him,  without  even  adherence  to  the  order  of  time. 
Yet  the  whole  presents  us  with  a  perfect  character, 
teaching  perfect  doctrine,  and  at  once  furnishing  the 
example  of  obedience  in  all  things  necessary  for  man, 
and  using  the  language  of  command,  as  him  to  whom 
“  all  power  was  given  in  heaven  and  in  earth.”  Now 
when  we  consider  what  the  greatest  minds  have  done  in 
their  attempts  to  d*evelope  perfect  characters,  and  re¬ 
member  by  whom  these  accounts  were  written,  at  what 
time,  and  in  what  countries ;  if  we  further  consider  what 
others  have  written  of  the  same  nation,  and  recollect 
that  this  is  a  solitary  instance  of  perfection;  that  it  was  not 


62  And,  at  other  times,  how  does  Edward  say  we  are  affected  by  it1? — 

63  What  does  Mr.  B.  say  of  the  singular  union  of  these  two  characters! 

64  In  this  union,  what  (foes  he  say  does  not  exist! — 65  Yet,  what  does 
the  whole  present! — 66  By  a  consideration  of  what  circumstances,  does 
he  say,  that  we  cannot  do  otherwise  than  follow  the  dictates  of  common 
sense,  in  believing  him  divine! 


262 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


progressive,  not  the  labour  of  successive  ages  to  render 
it  faultless;  but  that  a  few  poor  fishermen  and  others  of 
Galilee  sent  out  these  accounts  of  the  Founder  of  Chris¬ 
tianity,  these  statements  of  the  nature  of  his  religion, 
which,  after  nearly  1800  years,  still  appear  in  all  nations 
equally  and  essentially  divine — we  must,  we  cannot  do 
otherwise  than  follow  the  dictates  of  common  sense,  in 
believing  them  divine. 


CONVERSATION  XVIII. 

Mr.  B.  There  is  only  one  remaining  portion  of  the 
Evidences  which  it  appears  necessary  for  you  to  con¬ 
sider.  We  have  seen  the  adaptation  of  Christianity  to 
all  nations  and  all  ages:  it  remains  that  we  examine  into 
its  adaptation  to  all  persons  of  every  class  in  society. 

Maria.  I  recollect  our  Saviour’s  expression,  “  To  the 
poor  the  Gospel  is  preached;”  but  this  does  not  restrict 
its  influence  to  the  poor  alone. 

Mr.  B.  By  no  means:  nevertheless,  it  has  been  in 
some  respects  the  peculiar  characteristic  of  the  Gospel, 
that  it  extended  its  benefits  to  all  alike,  the  poor  as  well 
as  the  rich. 

Edward.  The  Grecian  philosophy  was  altogether  de¬ 
fective  in  this  respect:  it  left  the  great  mass  of  mankind 
to  pursue  the  same  courses,  however  vicious. 

Mr.  B.  At  the  time  of  our  Lord’s  appearing,  Judea 
also  was  infected  with  the  same  error.  The  professed 
teacheTs  of  the  people  cared  for  very  little  beyond  the 
preserving  their  own  authority;  and  to  do  this  with  the 
least  inconvenience  to  themselves,  they  “  took  away  the 
key  of  knowledge,  and  neither  entered  in  themselves, 


1  What  remaining  portion  of  the  evidences  of  Christianity  is  yet  to  be 

examined1 * 3? — 2  Of  what  peculiar  characteristic  is  the  gospel  possessed? — 

3  In  what  respect  was  the  Grecian  philosophy  defective? — 4  What  was 
the  condition  of  J  udea,  in  this  respect,  at  the  time  of  our  Lord’s  appear¬ 
ance? 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY.  268 

and  those  that  would  they  hindered.”  The  philosophis¬ 
ing  sects  cared  nothing  for  those  who  were  not  able  to 
enter  into  the  subtelties  of  their  disquisitions;  and  in 
general  the  higher  ranks  were  quite  indifferent  to  the 
welfare  of  those  beneath  them. 

Edward.  In  these  respects,  other  countries  have  been 
in  a  great  measure  similarly  circumstanced. 

Mr.  B.  The  same  causes  produce  the  same  effects, 
though  the  names  may  be  changed.  Hence,  however, 
arises  the  importance  of  a  religion  which  shall  do  that 
which  philosophy  cannot  do;  which  shall  present  objects 
of  contemplation  sufficiently  great  to  interest  the  strong¬ 
est  mind,  and  fix  the  attention  of  those  whose  attain¬ 
ments  enable  them  to  range  over  a  vast  extent  of  human 
knowledge,  and  which  shall  at  the  same  time  have  much 
that  even  the  lowest  can  understand,  and  feel  to  be  of 
importance. 

Maria.  A  religion,  indeed,  suited  for  all  times  and 
countries,  would  yet  be  very  partial,  if  only  adapted  for 
a  peculiar  class. 

Mr.  B.  In  addition  to  this  power  of  universal  appli¬ 
cation,  a  religion  which  is  designed  to  produce  great 
effects  must  be  able  to  operate  upon  the  mind  by  suffi¬ 
cient  motives.  Commands  without  sanctions,  precepts 
without  authority,  are  of  little  avail,  particularly  to  the 
lower  orders.  A  well-regulated  and  well-informed  mind 
may  be  capable  of  doing  and  suffering  much  by  the  aid 
of  “  divine  philosophy but  it  is  vain  to  reason  with  the 
suffering  poor,  who  are  also  ignorant,  on  general  princi¬ 
ples  of  necessity,  fitness,  and  expediency.  “He  refus- 
eth  to  hear  the  voice  of  the  charmer,  charm  he  never 
so  wisely.”  Now  the  Christian  religion  does  possess 
both  the  power  of  fully  occupying  all  minds,  from  the 
least  to  the  greatest,  and  that  of  influencing  all  by  suffi¬ 
cient  motives. 

Edward.  But  to  contrive  a  religion  possessed  of  these 


5  What  is  said  of  the  philosophising  sects  1 — 6  What  peculiarity  in  the 
religion  to  be  established  was  needed  1 — 7  In  addition  to  this  power  of 
universal  application,  what  was  needed  1— -8  Does  the  Christian  religion 
possess  this  additional  requisite! — 9  What  does  Edward  say  of  contriving 
such  a  religion! 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


264 

qualifications  would  have  been  a  task  far  beyond  the  pow¬ 
ers  of  a  set  of  poor  Galileans;  so  in  this  I  see  we  have 
additional  evidence  of  the  divine  origin  of  Christianity. 

Mr.  B.  It  is  not  my  intention  to  go  into  details  con¬ 
nected  with  the  peculiar  doctrines  of  Christianity,  as  of 
course  it  would  be  necessary  for  me  first  to  establish 
them  from  the  Scriptures;  but  it  is  allowed  on  all  hands, 
that  its  doctrines  are  sufficient  to  fix  the  attention,  and 
exercise  the  highest  powers  of  the  mind.  They  are  also 
not  delivered  as  matters  to  be  reasoned  upon,  and  re¬ 
tained  or  rejected,  according  to  our  view  of  their  pro¬ 
priety;  but  are  taught  simply  upon  authority,  and  as  such 
they  may  be  received  by  the  lowest  classes.  The  things 
into  which  “angels  desire  to  look,”  and  which  the 
mightiest  intellects  have  not  been  able  to  grasp,  may  yet 
to  the  humble  believer  afford  strong  ground  of  comfort 
or  instruction:  for  it  is  not  true,  as  some  would  persuade 
the  world,  that  the  doctrines  and  precepts  of  Christianity 
are  independent  of  each  other.  They  are  so  mingled 
together,  and  the  latter  in  particular  so  arise  from  the 
former,  that  they  cannot  be  separated.  They  rest  upon 
the  same  authority;  and  since,  in  the  precepts  respect¬ 
ing  practice,  we  know  that  nothing  has  been  enjoined  to 
be  done  but  what  is  good,  so  in  those  respecting  faith, 
we  ought  to  conclude  nothing  has  been  enjoined  unde¬ 
serving  of  our  belief. 

Maria.  But  is  not  the  vast  difference  in  belief  an  ob¬ 
jection  deserving  of  consideration  ? 

Mr.  B.  We  have  before  reduced  all  belief  necessary 
to  salvation  to  the  Holy  Scriptures;  and  if  from  these  a 
variety  of  creeds  are  deduced,  this  is  the  fault  of  the 
interpreters,  not  of  the  work  itself,  which  is  as  plain  in 
its  declarations  as  a  book  well  can  be. 

Edward.  If  it  had  been  purposely  written  in  ambigu¬ 
ous  language,  a  serious  objection  might  thence  have  been 
drawn;  but  as  it  is,  there  appears  no  intention  to  involve 
the  articles  of  faith  in  doubt. 


10  On  all  hands,  what  is  allowed  of  its  doctrines'? — 11  How  were  they 
delivered? — 12  What  is  said  of  the  harmony  between  the  doctrines  and 
precepts  of  Christianity? — 13  Is  the  difference  of  belief  among  professed 
Christians  an  objection  to  the  scriptures? 


EVIDENCES  OP  CHRISTIANITY.  265 

Maria.  But  in  what  respects  do  you  consider  the  doc¬ 
trines  of  Christianity  as  useful  to  those  whose  education 
has  been  so  far  deficient,  or  whose  employments  are  such, 
as  to  put  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  subject  out  of  their 
power  ? 

Mr.  B.  Try  all  that  you  can  effect  by  abstract  reasoning 
with  a  poor  man,  prevented  by  illness  from  labouring  for 
his  family,  and  pining  away  day  after  day:  all  that  is  said 
in. such  a  case  may  be  very  good;  but  it  touches  not  the 
heart;  it  has  no  hold  upon  him,  and  is  forgotten  as  soon 
as  you  have  left  him.  But  address  that  man  in  the  lan¬ 
guage  used  in  the  twelfth  chapter  of  the  Epistle  to  the 
Hebrews:  remind  him,  that  all  things  are  in  subjection 
to  God;  that  by  the  Gospel  he  is  taught  to  address  God 
as  his  Father;  that  in  it  he  is  assured  of  his  mercy,  and 
that  present  afflictions  are  designed  to  prepare  him  so  as 
to  serve  God  better  here,  that  he  may  be  admitted  into 
heaven  hereafter;  and  you  speak  a  language  which  he 
can  understand,  which  he  can  feel,  and  apply  to  his  own 
use.  ■  * 

Edward.  But  all  this  depends  upon  the  certainty  that 
this  doctrine  is  true. 

Mr.  B.  And  therefore  it  is  happy  for  the  poor,  that 
their  confidence  is  not  weakened  by  doubts,  which  thhir 
situation  in  life  would  not  in  many  cases  enable  them  to 
clear  up  without  assistance.  The  poor  but  pious  Christ¬ 
ian  finds  his  Bible  prove  true  so  far  as  he  consults  it,  and 
to  him  this  is  sufficient. 

Maria.  This  illustration,  however,  only  involves  a  doc¬ 
trine  which  might  perhaps  be  inferred  from  natural  relig¬ 
ion. 

Mr.  B.  It  could  not,  however,  be  so  proved  from  thence 
as  to  convey  to  a  man  situated  as  we  supposed  that  con¬ 
fidence  which  arises  from  simple  faith  in  the  word  of  God. 
If  time,  however,  permitted,  I  am  convinced  it  would  not 
be  difficult  to  show  the  importance  of  all  the  leading  doc- 

14  What  question  is  asked  by  Maria  as  to  the  utility  of  Christianity  to 
persons  in  a  certain  station  of  life? — 15  How  does  Mr.  B.  reply  to  her? 
— 16  In  what  manner  does  he  make  application  of  the  twelfth  chapter  of 
the  Hebrews? — 17  What  does  he  say  is  happy  fpr  the  poor? — 18  If  time 
permitted  what  would  he  do? 

23 


266 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


trines  of  Christianity,  in  their  influence  upon  the  minds 
of  persons  of  every  class;  and  thence  a  strong  argument 
would  arise  in  favour  of  the  religion  which  thus  produced 
beneficial  results. 

Edward.  It  is  easy  to  see  that  the  precepts  and  mo¬ 
tives  of  the  Gospel  extend  to  all  classes;  and  their  sim¬ 
plicity  is  well  adapted  to  further  their  general  usefulness. 

Mr.  B.  Without  the  guide  furnished  for  action  in  the 
first,  the  stimulus  afforded  by  the  latter  would  be  useless: 
without  the  excitation  of  motives,  the  precepts  might  be 
admired,  but  would  never  be  practised.  If,  then,  you 
consider  what  profound  knowledge  of  the  heart  and  the 
mind  must  be  necessary  to  form  a  right  conception  of 
what  precepts  will  be  universally  applicable,  what  mo¬ 
tives  will  be  universally  operative,  you  may  determine 
for  yourselves  the  probability  that  such  a  book  as  the 
New  Testament,  so  full  of  matter,  giving  general  rules 
on  all  subjects  connected  with  religion,  could  be  produc¬ 
ed  without  a  divine  revelation,  under  the  circumstances 
in  which  we  know  it  made  its  first  appearance. 

Edxoard.  These  last  arguments  have  had  great  weight 
with  me ;  but  I  should  wish  to  know  how  far  they  are  af¬ 
fected  by  the  objections  brought  against  Christianity. 

Mr.  B.  I  have  pursued  the  arguments  in  our  late  con¬ 
versations,  without  stopping  to  consider  these  objections, 
for  these  reasons — that  they  have  in  no  instance  amount¬ 
ed  to  any  thing  like  proof — many  of  them  disappear  when 
the  whole  system  of  Christianity  is  viewed — and  all  of 
them  have  been  considered  in  detail  by  persons  whose 
works  are  easily  procured.  With  regard  to  some,  how¬ 
ever,  I  will  make  a  few  remarks.  By  far  the  most  formi¬ 
dable  objections  to  Christianity  are  those  derived  from  the 
progress  of  science ;  for  it  appears  next  to  impossible  to 
prove  it  false  by  historical  evidence,  and  it  can  hardly  be 
expected  that,  after  seventeen  hundred  years’  investiga¬ 
tion  of  its.  claims,  it  should  be  discovered  to  be  contradic- 

19  What  does  Edward  say  it  is  easy  to  seel — 20  How  does  Mr.  B.  re¬ 
ply  to  him1? — 21  How  does  he  say  we  might  determine  for  ourselves  on 
the  real  character  of  such  a  book  as  the  New  Testament'? — 22  What  does 
Edward  say  of  these  last  arguments'! — 23  Why  has  not  Mr.  B.  stopped  to 
consider objection* 1—24  From  what  are  derived  the  most  formidable  ob¬ 
jections’! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


267 


tory  or  absurd  in  itself.  But  in  regard  to  physical  truth, 
there  does'seem,  at  first  sight,  some  ground  of  apprehen¬ 
sion.  This,* however,  is  greatly  diminished,  by  the  recol¬ 
lection  that  we  must  not  assign  to  the  sacred  writers  a 
character  to  which  they  made  no  pretensions.  They  did 
not  write  as  philosophers.  Had  they  done  so,  their  works 
would  have  been  unintelligible  at  the  time  they  appeared, 
and  for  ages  afterwards,  till  the  slow  progress  of  science 
elucidated  their  expressions. 

Maria.  We  must,  then,  regard  them  only  as  using  the 
popular  language. 

Edward.  Sfill,  some  fac^.s  they  assert  in  so  solemn  a 
manner  that  more  must  be  implied, 

Mr.  B.  Of  these  by  far  the  most  important  is  the  del¬ 
uge,  which  Voltaire  very  ingeniously  asserted  to  be  phys¬ 
ically  impossible,  much  to  the  credit  of  his  patient  and 
accurate  investigations  on  the  subject.  Unfortunately 
for  his  reputation,  the  fact  is  now  established  beyond 
controversy.  In  the  Reliquiae  Diluviance  of  Mr.  Buckland,: 
you  will  find  one  of  the  most  interesting  books  which 
modern  research  has  produced;  and  from  it  I  shall  now 
give  you  a  few  passages: — “  Thus  far  I  have  produced 
a  various,  and,  in  my  judgment,  incontrovertible  body 
of  facts,  to  show  that  the  whole  earth  has  been  subjected 
to  a  recent  and  universal  inundation.” — 'Rel.  Dil.  p.  224. 

All  these  facts,  whether  considered  collectively  or 
separately,  present  such  a  conformity  of  proofs,  tending 
to  establish  the  universality  of  a  recent  inundation  of  the 
earth,  as  no  difficulties  or  objections  that  have  hitherto 
arisen  are  in  any  way  sufficient  to  over-rule. 

“  In  the  full  confidence  that  these  difficulties  will  at 
length  be  removed,  by  the  further  extension  of  physical 
observations,  we  may  for  the  present  rest  satisfied  with 
the  argument  that  numberless  phenomena  have  been  al¬ 
ready  ascertained,  which,  without  the  admission  of  an 
universal  deluge,  it  seems  not  easy,  nay,  utterly  impos¬ 
sible,  to  explain.” — Rel.  Dil.  p.  228. 

25  What  is  said  in  regard  to  physical  truth  1 — 26  What  is  said  of  Vol¬ 
taire’s  attack  upon  the  scriptures! — 27  And  what  is  said  of  the  work  of 
Mr.  Buckland  on  the  same  subject! — 28  What  are  the  quotations  made 
from  it! 


268 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


In  like  manner,  attempts  to  overthrow  the  authority 
of  the  Pentateuch,  by  obtaining  an  excessive  antiquity 
to  some  nations,  through  the  medium  of  astronomy,  and 
by  assigning  the  different  variations  of  the  human  race 
to  distinct  stocks,  independent  of  each  other,  have  wholly 
failed. 

Edward.  But  instances  of  failure  such  as  these  become 
afterwards  corroborative  evidence  in  favour  of  the  truth 
of  the  Scriptures. 

Mr.  B.  The  minor  objections  in  this  branch  are  scarce¬ 
ly  deserving  of  consideration,  as  they  may  be  fully  ex¬ 
plained  from  the  nature  of  the  language  made  use  of  by 
the  sacred  writers. 

The  historical  objections  are  now  reduced  within  a 
very  narrow  compass.  The  most  formidable,  perhaps, 
is  an  ambiguous  expression  made  use  of  in  the  second 
verse  of  the  second  chapter  of  St.  Luke’s  Gospel;  for  the 
various  methods  of  explaining  or  accounting  for  the 
words,  you  may  refer  to  Campbell  on  the  Gospels. 

Maria.  Does  not  the  variation  of  the  genealogies  fall 
within  this  part  of  the  subject? 

Mr.  B.  It  is  generally  admitted  that  St.  Matthew  gave 
the  descent  of  Joseph,  and  St.  Luke  that  of  Mary,  which 
may  be  accounted  for  by  the  consideration  of  the  per¬ 
sons  for  whom  each  wrote,  and  the  objects  each  had  in 
view. 

Edward.  Is  not  the  silence  of  Josephus  with  regard  to 
our  Lord  a  serious  objection  ? 

Mr.  B.  It  can  be  satisfactorily  accounted  for  by  the 
circurhstances  of  the  case.  There  is  indeed  a  passage, 
which  by  some  i$  regarded  as  genuine,  but  by  most  per¬ 
sons  as  spurious,  which  speaks  very  decidedly  of  our 
Lord;  but  we  need  not  this  aid. 

Edward.  The  slaughter  of  the  infants  in  Bethlehem,  I 
think,  has  been  brought  forward  as  unknown  to  history; 

29  How  liaa  an  attempt  been  made  to  overthrow  the  Pentateuch'? — 30 
What  does  Edward  say  of  the  instances  of  failure  in  attacking  the  scrip¬ 
tures'? — 31  Of  the  minor  objections,  what  does  Mr.  B.  say1? — 32  What 
does  he  say  is  the  most  formidable  historical  objection  now  made'?— 33 
What  does  he  sav  of  the  supposed  discrepancies  in  the  genealogies? — 34 
Is  the  silence  of  Jeseplms  respecting  our  Lord  any  serious  objection? — 35 
What  does  Edward  say  of  the  slaughter  of  the  infants? 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  269 

ana  this,  it  is  thought,  hardly  could  have  been  omitted, 
had  it  occurred. 

Mr.  B.  Michaelisi,  has  shown  that  the  slaughter  could 
only  extend  to  so  small  a  number,  that  the  omission  of  i^ 
is  not  at  all  surprising,  when  we  find  other  events  which 
are  known  to  have  occurred  omitted. 

Edward.  Is  it  not  also  objected  to  the  Scripture  ac¬ 
counts  of  our  Lord’s  miracles,  that  a  greater  number 
must  have  been  converted  had  they  been  real? 

Mr.  B.  This  has  been  replied  to  by  Mr.  Weston,  in 
his  work  on  the  Rejection  of  Miracles  by  the  Heathen. 
Yon  will  also  find  some  good  observations  on  this  and 
other  objections  to  Christianity  in  the  second  volume  of 
Paley’s  Evidences.  The  second  volume  of  Jenkins’s 
Reasonableness  and  Certainty  of  the  Christian  Religion 
is  entirely  devoted  to  the  consideration  of  objections. 
Hardly  any  objection  has  been  brought  forward  without 
a  considerable  number  of  answers  appearing  to  it ;  among 
which  it  is  not  always  easy  to  select  the  best;  but  you  will 
find  an  account  of  several  in  Leland’s  Deistical  Writers, 
besides  very  excellent  observations  by  himself  on  the 
same  subjects. 

Though  it  may  appear  strange,  considering  who  are 
the  objectors,  some  have  brought  forward  various  passa¬ 
ges  of  Scripture,  particularly  of  the  Pentateuch  and  his¬ 
torical  books  of  the  Old  Testament,  as  contrary  to  sound 
morality.  The  former  I  have  already  in  some  measure 
considered,  and  with  regard  to  all  it  may  be  observed, 
that  there  appears  on  the  part  of  the  objectors  a  fixed 
determination  to  misrepresent  the  subject. 

Edward.  In  some  cases,  perhaps,  objections  have  aris¬ 
en  from  bad  translations. 

Mr.  B.  But  what  are  we  to  think  of  men  who,  in  a  mat¬ 
ter  of  such  great  importance,  will  decide  against  a  religion 
from  a  faulty  translation? 


■86  How  has  Michaelis  replied  to  th is? — 37  What  question  is  asked  by 
Edward  respecting  the  conversions  which  attended  onr  Lord’s  miracles'! — 
38  Who  has  replied  to  this? — 39  What  is  said  of  the  works  of  Jenkins 
and  Lelandl — 40  What  does  Mr  B.  say  of  attempts  to  prove  that  the 
scriptures  contain  passages  contrary  to  sound  morality? — 41  And  of  ob¬ 
jections  founded  on  a  faulty  translation? 

23* 


270 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


Edward.  The  want  of  agreement  in  some  parts  is  also 
an  objection,  as  well  as  chronological  difficulties. 

Mr.  B.  For  the  explanation  of  these,  I  must  refer  you 
to  professed  harmonists  and  writers  on  chronology,  who 
‘  will  generally  afford  you  satisfaction. 

Edwdrd.  Is  not  the  mode  of  quotation  adopted  by  the 
writers  of  the  New  Testament  objected  to  by  some? 

Mr.  B.  Upon  that  subject  you  will  find  a  very  useful 
treatise  by  Dr.  H.  Owen;  and  for  others  I  refer  you  to 
Leland. 

But  with  regard  to  all  these  objections,  you  must  ob¬ 
serve,  that  they  by  no  means  invalidate  the  proof  we  have 
considered,  and  in  most  cases  throw  very  little  doubt  even 
on  the  single  passages  from  which  they  are  drawn.  The 
gross  ignorance  of  many  objectors  on  the  subject  on  which 
they  profess  to  write  is  most  shameful. 

Edward.  Has  there  not  been  an  argument  raised 
against  the  Mosaic  dispensation,  as  destitute  of  the  doc¬ 
trine  of  a  future  state? 

Mr.  B.  The  consideration  of  this  question  is  the  subject 
of  Warburton’s  most  celebrated  work,  “  The  Divine  Le¬ 
gation  of  Moses,”  & c. 

Edward.  In  what  manner  is  it  treated? 

Mr.  B.  I  will  give  you  his  own  words  as  to  the  design 
of  it. 

Postulate. — “That  a  skilful  lawgiver,  establishing 
a  religion  and  civil  policy,  acts  with  certain  views,  and 
for  certain  ends;  and  not  capriciously,  without  purpose 
or  design. 

Proposition  I.  “  That  to  inculcate  the  doctrine  of  a 
future  state  of  rewards  and  punishments  is  necessary  to 
the  well-being  of  civil  society. 

II.  “  That  all  mankind,  especially  the  most  wise  and 
learned  nations  of  antiquity,  have  concurred  in  believ¬ 
ing  and  teaching  that  this  doctrine  was  of  such  use  to 
civil  society. 


42  How  would  Mr.  B.  have  Edward  settle  want  of  agreement  in  some 
scriptures,  and  some  chronological  difficulties'? — 43  For  what  purpose 
does  he  refer  to  Owen  ami  LelandT — 44  But  of  all  these  objections,  what 
does  he  say  must  be  observed'? — 45  What  is  the  subject  of  the  work  of 
Warburton,  called  the  Divine  Legation  of  Mosesl 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  271 

III.  “  That  the  doctrine  of  a  future  state  of  rewards 
and  punishments  is  not  to  be  found  in,  nor  did  make  part 
of  the  Mosaic  dispensation. 

“  That,  therefore,  the  law  of  Moses  is  of  divine  origin. 

For,  I.  “Whatsoever  religion  and  society  have  no 
future  state  for  their  support,  must  be  supported  by  an 
extraordinary  providence. 

“  The  Jewish  religion  and  society  had  no  future  state 
for  their  support. 

“  Therefore  the  Jewish  religion  and  society  were  sup¬ 
ported  by  an  extraordinary  providence. 

II.  “  The  ancient  lawgivers  universally  believed  that 
such  a  religion  could  be  supported  only  by  an  extraordi¬ 
nary  providence. 

“  Moses,  an  ancient  lawgiver,  versed  in  all  the  wis¬ 
dom  of  Egypt,  purposely  instituted  such  a  religion. 

“  Therefore,  Moses  believed  his  religion  was  sup¬ 
ported  by  an  extraordinary  providence.” — Warburton’s 
Works,  vol.  i.  p.  50 — 57. 

But  it  is  only  by  actual  perusal  that  a  correct  idea 
can  be  formed  of  this  very  extraordinary  work. 

Edward.  Do  you  regard  it  as  conclusive? 

Mr.  B.  That  the  divine  legation  of  Moses  was  proved 
by  the  religion  and  society  of  the  Jews  being  supported 
by  an  extraordinary  providence,  I  have  no  doub.t,  but  not 
for  the  reason  here  assigned.  The  hypothesis  itself  ap¬ 
pears  to  me  false,  and  I  regard  the  whole  only  as  a  most 
splendid  instance  of  the  union  of  genius  and  learning  to 
very  little  purpose.  It  has  been  excessively  admired, 
and  vehemently  attacked.  The  controversies  to  which 
it  gave  birth  lasted  a  long  time,  but  effected  very  little 
for  the  interests  of  religion.  A  very  short  time  ago  the 
subject  has  been  revived  by  Mr.  Lancaster,  in  his  work 
on  the  Harmony  of  the  Law  and  the  Gospel,  which  you 
will  read  with  pleasure  as  well  as  advantage. 

Maria.  His  arguments  are  drawn  up  very  systemati¬ 
cally. 



46  What  is  the  process  by  which  he  arrives  at  the  conclusion  that  the 
taw  of  Moses  is  of  divine  origin'? — 47  What  does  Mr.  B.  say  of  this  work? 
—48  Does  he  regard  the  argument  as  conclusive1?— 49  What  does  he  say 
of  the  controversies  to  which  this  gave  rise? 


272 


CONVERSATIONS  ON  THE 


Mr.  B.  At  first:  but  you  soon  lose  sight  of  them  in  the 
mass  of  learning  which  he  brings  forward,  and  in  the  con¬ 
tinual  development  of  new  strains  of  thought:  it  is,  after 
all,  a  most  astonishing  performance. 

One  of  the  most  systematic  writers  on  the  evidences 
is  Huet,  Bishop  of  Avranches,  who,  in  his  Demonstra- 
tio  Evangelica,  has  drawn  them  out  in  a  regular  series 
of  definitions,  postulates,  axioms,  and  propositions.  It 
is  also  a  work  of  great  learning,  but  of  a  very  different 
character  to  the  Divine  Legation  of  Moses.  The  evi¬ 
dences  have  also  been  subjected  to  the  mathematical 
doctrine  of  chances  by  Craig;  but  the  book  is  now  for¬ 
gotten. 

Edward.  Have,  then,  any  other  remarkable  defences 
of  Christianity  appeared,  as  founded  upon  omissions  sim¬ 
ilar  to  that  of  a  future  state  under  the  Mosaic  dispensa¬ 
tion  ? 

Mr.  B.  Dr.  Priestley,.  I  believe,  was  the  first  who 
thought  of  defending  Christianity  by  denying  the  imma¬ 
teriality  of  the  soul. 

Maria.  But  can  this  possibly  be  consistent  with  the 
language  of  Scripture? 

Mr.  B.  I  think  not,  and  fully  agree  with  the  sentiments 
of  Bisjiop  Horsley...  “Though  I  admit  the  possibility 
of  an  inspired  teacher’s  error  of  opinion  in  subjects  which 
he  is  not  sent  to  teach  (because  inspiration  is  not  omnis¬ 
cience,  and  some  things  there  must  be  which  it  will  leave 
untaught);  though  I  stand  in  this  point  for  my  own  and 
every  man’s  liberty,  and  protest  against  any  obligation 
on  the  believer’s  conscience,  to  assent  to  a  philosophical 
opinion,  incidentally  expressed  by  Moses,  by  David,  or 
by  St.  Paul,  upon  the  authority  of  their  infallibility  in 
divine  knowledge ;  though  I  think  it  highly  for  the  honour 
and  the  interest  of  religion,  that  this  liberty  of  philoso¬ 
phising  (except  upon  religious  subjects)  should  be  open¬ 
ly  asserted,  and  most  pertinaciously  maintained;  yet  I 
confess  it  appears  to  me  no  very  probable  supposition 

50  Why  will  one  be  likely  to  lose  sight  of  these  arguments'? — 51  What 
is  said  of  Huet  and  Craig,  as  writers  in  favour  of  the  Bible1? — 52  What 
peculiarity  was  there  in  the  work  of  Priestley'? — 53  Who  replied  to  him? 
— 54  What  is  the  substance  of  the  quotation  from  Horsley*! 


EVIDENCES  OF  CHRISTIANITY.  273 

(and  it  is,  as  I  conceive,  a  m*re  supposition,  not  yet  con¬ 
firmed  by  any  one  clear  instance),  that  an  inspired  writer 
should  be  permitted,  in  a  religious  discourse,  to  affirm  a 
false  proposition  in  any  subject,  or  in  any  history  to  mis¬ 
interpret  a  fact;  so  that  I  would  not  easily,  nor  indeed 
without  the  conviction  of  the  most  cogent  proof,  embrace 
any  notion  in  philosophy,  or  attend  to  any  historical  rela¬ 
tion,  which  should  be  evidently  and  in  itself  repugnant 
to  an  explicit  assertion  of  any  of  the  sacred. writers. ”■»— 
Horsley’s  Sermons,  vol.  iii.  p.  179. 

You  will  find  the  whole  sermon  very  well  worth  a  care¬ 
ful  perusal ;  and  it  is  upon  the  nature  of  the  connexion  be¬ 
tween  soul  and  body. 

Edward.  Besides  these,  are  there  any  other  modes  of 
proof  which  have  been  made  use  of  which  appear  incon¬ 
clusive? 

Mr.  B.  The  proof  used  by  some  Romanists  appears 
deserving  of  censure,  as  well  as  one  held  by  some  de¬ 
nominations  of  protestants.  The  former  is  that  the  books 
of  the  sacred  Scriptures  are  canonical  because  the  church 
constitutes  them  so,  and  the  church  has  power  so  to  do 
because  the  books  are  canonical. 

Maria.  In  this  the  truth  of  each  part  depends  upon  the 
other,  so  that  it  is  wholly  inconclusive. 

Mr.  B.  The  second  is  an  inward  sensation,  regarded 
as  an  attestation  from  God  in  favour  of  the  sacred  writ-* 
ings. 

Maria.  If  we  could  be  certain  that  a  sensation  of  this 
kind  were  really  from  him,  it  would  be  no  proof  to  an¬ 
other.  f 

Mr.  B.  Besides  these,  there  may  be  other  proofs  al¬ 
leged  in  favour  of  Christianity,  as  weak  as  the  objections 
made  against  it;  but  from  neither  can  we  conclude  that 
Christianity  is  a  divine  revelation  or  not.  The  truth  of 
Christianity  rests  on  facts  and  reasonings,  which  no  ob¬ 
jections,  yet  adduced,  are  of  Efficient  force  to  over¬ 
throw.  We  need,  therefore,  no  additional  evidence;  for 


55  What  does  Mr.  B.  say  of  this  performance  1 — 56  What  question  does 
Edward  propose  as  to  other  modes  of  proof! — 57  How  does  Mr.  B.  reply 
to  him'! — 58  What  does  he  say  of  an  inward  sensation1! — 69  On  what  does 
the  truth  of  Christianity  rest"! 


274 


CONVERSATIONS,  &C. 

there  is  already  much  mor»than  what  would  be  deemed 
sufficient  to  determine  the^truth  in  all  ordinary  cases; 
and  inasmuch  as  the  greatest  consequences  depend  upon 
our  conduct  here,  it  requires  no  great  skill  in  logic  to 
show  that  the  safest  course  is  the  best. 

Maria.  I  could  not  reject,  if  I  wished;  but  what  are 
we  to  think  of  those  who  do? 

.  Mr.  B.  Leave  them  to  Him  who  alone  can  determine 
how  far  guilt  attaches  to  their  conduct.  We  are,  in  all 
respects,  unable  to  decide  respecting  them.  Our  only 
care  must  be,  that,  we  perish  not  through  their  folly,  that 
we  contribute  not  to  their  ruin.  I  would  not  judge  harsh¬ 
ly  of  any  individual;  but  I  have  the  fullest  conviction  on 
my  mind,  that  infidelity  does  not  arise  from  any  reason- 
able  cause. 


60  What  is  the  last  question  of  Maria1? — 61  In  vvliat  manner  does  Mr, 
B.  reply  to  her! 


